


Gaps

by ComputerButch



Series: TR Revelation Timeline [1]
Category: Tomb Raider & Related Fandoms, Tomb Raider (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-11
Updated: 2019-01-06
Packaged: 2019-04-21 08:08:35
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 15
Words: 36,740
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14280669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ComputerButch/pseuds/ComputerButch
Summary: After their expedition in the Dragon's Triangle goes south, Sam and Lara attempt to resume their normal lives, but Lara's life grows more chaotic over time. The two also come to the realization that the feelings they've always had for each other have only grown stronger over time and both Lara and Sam must figure out how to move forward with their relationship whist also balancing the new direction their lives have taken.The events in the story coincide with the events in the three comic arks between TR 2013 and RotTR.





	1. Going Home

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place immediately at the end of Tomb Raider 2013, when Lara is on the ship heading back to civilization.

Lara was leaning against the railing of the ship, watching Reyes, Jonah, and Sam jovily talk about the food they were going to eat when they got back. When a member of the crew walked up to Lara, asking, “Need anything?”, Lara was barely paying attention. 

“Don’t rightly know what happened to you on that island.”  He was a gruff man, with a black beard and ugly work clothes, but he was genuinely concerned, he was still human, not like the men on Yamatai Lara had killed so many of. The thought of what Lara had been through stirred in her head, but right now, she was at ease. Apparently it didn’t look like it, as the man added, 

“An’ judging from those wounds and that look in your eyes, I’m guessing’ I don’t wanna know.” Lara glared at him, she wasn’t trying to be rude, but after everything she’d been through, she wasn’t concerned about manners now. Finally, the man concluded, 

“Anyway, we’ll be home soon.”. He gestured goodbye and walked back into the ship.

 

Lara looked down, her hands opening a journal as she looked at the pages. There were cryptic notes over pictures taped on, a map of Croatoan dominated one of the pages she’d opened the journal to. “I’m not going home”. She said to herself. After everything that had happened, after watching her friends die, and the rest of them barely make it out alive, she needed answers. Her father had searched for Yamatai too. If Yamatai ended up being.. well, what it had been, what other secrets had the late Richard Croft’s research been hiding? She had to know, she had to. As she stared pensively at the sea, she failed to notice Sam’s footsteps and only noticed her when a hand was placed soothingly on her shoulder.

 

Sam was at Lara’s side. After saving her twice on Yamatai, feeling her torn away so many times, almost burned to death, and nearly possessed, it barely felt real, but it mattered. At that moment Lara immediately forgot about the statement she’d made to herself and the thoughts that followed. She was going home. Finally. Sam grasped Lara’s hand and interlocked her fingers with Lara’s. It was such a normal thing for them. Sam was a very touchy person and her and Lara had known each other so long they never thought much about it. This time though, this time was special. Lara was thinking about all the ways she could have lost Sam,  _ how Sam could have lost her _ , she gripped her best friend’s hand, never wanting to let her go.

 

It wasn’t until Sam spoke that Lara realized she’d been squeezing the life out of poor Sam’s hand. Sam hadn’t said anything, of course, but Lara felt a little guilty anyway. 

“It’s weird seeing the sky like this.” Sam spoke softly. “After all those hours of storms and ominous clouds, I almost forgot what it was like to see a calm sky.” Sam was speaking calmly, but it didn’t matter, Lara hurt from those words and inched closer to Sam. 

“ _ This was all my fault. _ ”, she thought. She started thinking of a thousand reasons she should feel guilty, how she’d caused her friends to be hurt and killed, how she hated Roth for agreeing to travel into The Dragon’s Triangle, and how she should have died with an axe through her back instead of him. How it should have been her trapped on the Endurance instead of poor Alex, and how she’d wished the Solarii had killed her and Grimm had survived. She hated all of it. She was so deep in her thoughts again and nearly forgot Sam was there, when she snapped out of it and looked towards her, Sam was crying as she systematically examined all of Lara’s visible injuries. There were tears streaming down her cheeks as she silently sobbed. Lara gently turned Sam’s head towards her’s and rested her forehead against Sam’s.

 

“I’m sorry”, Lara whispered. Sam looked up at her. 

“What? You saved me! You saved Reyes and Jonah, all of us! You  _ saved my soul _ Lara! How can you be sorry for all that?” Sam’s words were whimpered through tears. Lara felt terrible. 

“If we hadn’t went to Ya-”, Sam cut her off. 

“Lara! We all decided to go on our own, you didn’t force us to. None of us could have known what was waiting for us! But I know even if I did, I would have gone anyway. I trust you, and I couldn’t let you go on your own.” Sam’s tears had stopped, but she still sounded heartbroken. 

“Sam, I-”, before Lara could speak, Sam had pulled her into a hug, Lara hugged back, not letting go.

 

“Promise me one thing Lara”, Sam mumbled into Lara’s shoulder.

“Yes?”, Lara replied. “Promise me you won’t let me go. We go together,  _ always _ .” Sam said, again into Lara’s shoulder. Lara sighed. 

“Yes Sam, I promise.”, she finally said. She knew what that meant, what could happen. So she guessed she wouldn’t be going on another crazy adventure looking for answers right away. Sam and Lara needed to rest, to rebuild after everything that happened.

 

“It’s funny”, Lara said, looking out towards the sea, the setting sun on the horizon with calm clouds around it. Sam looked at her. “This was how it all started, us looking out at the sunset on a boat, excited for our next adventure.” Sam let Lara out of the hug and put an arm around her, leaning her head on her best friend’s shoulder. 

“And it was.”, Sam said. Lara looked at Sam, but Sam just looked out at the horizon. “Through all that, it was an adventure, and we did it  _ together _ . Like we always do.”, Sam said her words with conviction, knowing what they meant to her loyal friend.

 

Sam and Lara looked out at the sunset, leaning against each other, happy that it was all over, and that they were together.

“Hey you two”, a deep, friendly voice said, Lara looked, it was Jonah. “It’s obvious you’re having a moment, but you should get a bite to eat Lara, can’t go home on an empty stomach!” Jonah said, the smile on his face came through in his voice. The three of them walked together as Jonah was talking about the mango smoothies the ship’s crew made, as they went inside the ship, Lara paused, and smiled.

  
_ That’s right _ , Lara thought.  _ I am going home _ .


	2. And a biscuit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam’s PoV on the events that take place during the first issue and beginning of the second issue of the Season of the Witch ark of comics. Addresses a plot-hole in the comics and inserts some light fluff while doing so.

It was late in the evening, and Lara and I were exhausted from living our normal lives again. We had agreed that it was a lot of work, staying focused on the present, after everything that had happened. Things were back the way they were before, at the same time, they never could be either.

 

Lara was sitting in the kitchen eating from a bowl of plain yogurt, she had just gotten back from another long shift at the Nine Bells. Management had been nice enough to take time off for our trip, but she had to make up for it now, and as much as I pleaded with her to take a break and let me pay her bills for a bit, she was stubborn as always. All I could do at this point was keep an eye on her as I sorted through a jumble of project files I’d forgotten about from school.

 

“Damn, I’m tired,” Lara announced, getting up to wash out and put away the bowl she’d been eating from. “I’m headed to sleep Sam, call me if you need anything, okay?” She shot me a tender gaze as she finished sorting out the kitchen and went to her bedroom door.

“I will Lara,” I said, smiling back to her as she retired for the evening.

 

I had spent the evening-the past week actually, getting my video equipment and editing gear back into working order. Miraculously, Lara saved my camera from Yamatai. My parents would have bought me a new one, but I was grateful to have my baby make it. After all the stress it endured however, it’s memory card had begun to corrupt and the thing needed a hell of a cleaning. After that was through, I needed to get myself back in the swing of things by getting all my school projects back into memory, a task which I’d been occupied with for the better part of today.

 

As I moved the last bit of files into my meticulously organized virtual filing system, I sighed and closed my laptop. It was half-past eleven at night and I was tired too. I took a cue from Lara and headed to bed.

 

Before I’d even finished changing to my pajamas, however, I found myself lying on the floor not remembering how I’d got there. I was half changed, and suddenly my arm was sore. Had I fainted? I didn’t have a history of fainting, but I couldn’t rule it out after Yamatai. The island had changed both of us in more ways than we knew. I decided I’d figure it out later, however, and finally got to bed.

 

Blackness.

Cold.

A mountain.

A corpse.

Oh my god! I was back there again! I screamed as Mathias chanted wildly, waving that bladed spear of his in the air, focused on the blue streaks of energy flying between my body and the ancient carcass sitting in front of me, looking into me with cold dead eyes. I cried for help, but no one came, and soon everything went black. I felt nothing, saw nothing, heard nothing. I was gone, and Himiko stole my life from me. Forced my soul from my body. I tried to scream and claw my way back but nothing happened, no words came from me and I realized I didn’t even have a body to fight back with anymore. I was alone, with nothing but my disembodied thoughts to wander for all eternity.

 

Then I gasped. My eyes were open as I stared blankly at my ceiling and squirmed and thrashed against no one. I came loose from my blankets and tumbled to the floor. God. I felt so scared. So alone.

“LARAAAAAA!” I screamed her name at the top of my lungs. Fighting off tears and trying to slow my breaths as my heart beat its way through my ribcage.

 

Luckily Lara was awake too, and rushed to my side. I’d heard her yell my name after I screamed hers. My saviour. I loved her so much. But I hated that after all we went through, she still needed to save me.

“Sam!” Lara came running. “Are you okay? What happened?” I remembered my thoughts as she came to me. She shouldn’t have to save me. No. Not again.

“What? No. ‘M fine.” I mumbled, still lying on the floor. Lara helped me up and strung my arm against her shoulder. I struggled to think of an excuse. “I was just… just sleepwalking. I’m fine.” It was bullshit. Complete and utter bullshit and I knew it. I knew Lara knew it too, but I couldn’t tell her the truth. Not when she’d already fought so much, alone on that island. I had to fight this battle alone too. Lara ignored my excuse, however, and just walked me to the kitchen.

“I’m making you some tea.” She said.

“And a biscuit?” I replied.

“Definitely a biscuit.” I felt a smile through her words. Despite her stoic and serious personality, I rarely failed to put a smile on her face. My Lara. I smiled faintly as she helped me into a chair.

“Sam, your arm.” Shit. I was wearing a short sleeved v-neck pajama top, and my arm must have a visible bruise now after I’d been sleeping. I came up with another excuse.

“ _ Huh? _ Oh. Yeah, fell against the wardrobe.” I didn’t even know what had happened, but I knew it wasn’t that. As I glanced at Lara it was obvious she didn’t buy it either. But I lied again anyway.

“Don’t look so aghast Lara.” I looked down at my arm. “I’ve  **always** sleepwalked.” Bullshit. I looked back at Lara and she knew it too. I wasn’t a sleepwalker. I’d never been and if I was, Lara would have known. We’d lived together for years after all. Lara didn’t pry though, instead, she handed me a tea along with a box of Jaffa Cakes. She was sweet. Caring. I knew she’d do anything for me. Right now though, I just wanted her to help herself through the pain of Yamatai so I could do the same. I didn’t expect what came next.

“I’m going to ask you a question, Sam. Are you having nightmares?” She paused, “About the  **island?** ” Suddenly, my mind went back to earlier, that void, the empty, lonely feeling, the  _ nothingness _ . I wanted to go back so I could kill those Salarii and Mathias like Lara had, I wanted to burn Himiko’s corpse so there was nothing left, like Lara had. I was so angry, and I snapped at Lara.

“That’s ridiculous.” I scowled at her. “Why would I have dreams about that awful place?  _ Ugh _ . Never.” Instant regret. All of a sudden I just wanted to tell her, for us to hold each other in one another's arms and cry about the innocence we’d been robbed of. I looked back at my best friend. Lara looked concerned, scared, sad even.

“We’ve been mates for years. Why are you lying to me, Sam?” She sounded desperate. I had to get away before she made me cave, she didn’t need to save me again. I’d been saved enough times to last a lifetime. I got up from my chair.

“I should get back to bed. We’re starting the documentary on fissure gas leaks in the morning.” That again was a lie. Partially anyway,  _ we were _ starting in the morning, but it wasn’t until nearly noon. Thankfully, Lara didn’t know this, finally, it was a lie that she didn’t instantly see through. Lara put a hand on my shoulder as I started to move towards my room.

“Sam. Please.” Desperation again. “We have to  **talk.** ” My heart sank. I couldn’t let her know. In the moment, I became desperate myself and snapped at my poor, loving friend.

“Lara, stop it. I’m  **tired.** Quit being so  **weird.** ” I winced at the words I’d just said, I couldn’t let Lara fight this battle for me but I didn’t want to make her fight a battle  _ with _ me. All Lara could say was a pained, “Sam..!”, as she watched me walk back to my room, hiding the shame of what I’d just done.

 

I heard the phone ring as I entered my room. I heard Lara answer it, and all I could make out was that she was talking to Jonah. It was nearly five in the morning, why was he calling at this hour? I didn’t have time to think about it, however, as once I’d got into my sheets, I heard Lara shuffling around the apartment, and a while later, heard the apartment door slam. Where was she going? Tired as I was, I got out of bed and took a look around the apartment, nothing looked out of the ordinary until I went into Lara’s room. It was a mess, clothes were strewn about, things knocked over, then I saw it. Lara had taken her suitcase.

 

What the fuck? She promised to take me with her! Now she was who knows where and she left me here? Lara Croft! I swear you aren’t going to hear the end of this! I shuffled back to my room and grabbed my phone, typing out a quick message to Lara asking where the hell she went. I waited for a bit but ended up falling asleep shortly anyways.

 

At least there weren’t nightmares this time. I squinted at the bright morning sun shining into my room and looked at my phone’s clock. Ten in the morning. Well, at least I hadn’t slept through my class. God knows I was no stranger to that. What immediately caught my attention, however, was a text from Lara.

“Flying to Nevada. Jonah needs help. Be back soon!” Nevada? I’d heard Jonah moved out there but what could be so bad that Lara needed to fly out there at a moments notice? I went to send another angry reply but paused before I started writing. Lara lost so much on Yamatai, she blamed herself for the deaths of our friends. I knew then she wasn’t running off on some adventure without me, she was going to save her friends, again. Sweet, selfless Lara. All I could bring myself to write was, 

“Be safe sweetie! Jonah too! Sorry for last night, was too tired, love you! XOXO”. It was nicer than what I’d been thinking to myself, but I couldn’t bring myself to scold her when she was saving us every day. I sighed, got ready for class, and headed out.

 

I barely paid attention. All day I had the same thoughts circle through my head. Lara left without me. Jonah’s in trouble. Lara’s selfless and I love her. My mind was a video clip played on repeat. This continued on for the rest of the day and when I found myself home, alone in the flat Lara and I shared, I decided I’d do something for her.

 

I cleaned her room. I was terrible at it, Lara has this system, she expects everything to be in specific spots, I could never understand it, but I tried anyway. I washed the dishes too, not that there were many. Lara always ended up doing the washing up just because she hated the mess. After all that, I just ended up sitting alone on the couch, watching some dumb show eating ice cream out of the tub. It was so boring without Lara here. Even though she’d usually just lock herself in her room to study or spend all evening at the library or slaving away at work, she was always there. Especially now, after the island, I felt her absence more than ever. Despite her long shifts and overzealous studying, I could always expect Lara to be home at night. Her presence comforting me even a room away. 

 

Just as I was wishing for my best friend back, my phone rang. Lara!

“Hey Sam, could you call me from your phone? I Don’t have long distance. You there?” She sounded so tired. I remembered she’d been on a plane all day and it had been hours since she would have arrived.

“Okay Lara, just a minute!” I said, hastily hanging up and redialing her number.

“Hey sweetie, what’s going on?” I chirped. I was just so happy to hear from her.

“There was a flood, Sam. A dam burst and Jonah barely made it out alive, but I pulled him out of there. He’s in the hospital now, I’m with him.” I heart skipped a beat. It seemed like the universe really had it out for us. The middle of Nevada and Jonah is almost killed by a flood. What’s next? Wait no, I don’t want to think about what’s next.

“God Lara, and what, did you fly out last night?” I asked.

“Yeah, well, a couple hours after you went back to bed, it was the earliest flight I could get. It was still morning here when I arrived though.” Lara really did sound exhausted, and if she spent ten hours on a plane then saved Jonah’s life only a few hours after, she had reason to be. Then it struck me. A last-minute flight. All the way to the southwestern U.S.? It must have cost Lara a fortune! I immediately told Lara just that. My stoic saviour, stubborn as always, just sighed and told me she’d do extra shifts at work, and find another job. God, she was killing herself.

“Lara! You should have let me pay for it! You’re working yourself to death already! Please! Let me  _ save you _ this time!” It didn’t work. “Sam... I can’t. I have to do this for myself. For you, for all of you.” God, for how intelligent Lara Croft was, she was sure an idiot sometimes.

“ **Ugh!** Lara, you still have to fly back! What will it all cost you?  _ Please _ babe! Let me do this for you, okay sweetie?” I knew Lara couldn’t refuse, there was no way she could cover this cost and she knew it. What came next however I expected. She refused. Ugh! How could she be so stubborn! We ended the call and I proceeded to shovel half the tub of ice cream down my throat watching dumb TV until I got a stomach ache and eventually went to sleep in Lara’s bed.

 

There it was again. Or wasn’t. Is a void anything? I don’t know. What I do know is that I was lifeless, voiceless, bodiless, as my soul floated in the void. I wanted to scream, to claw my way back, but like before, I couldn’t. No matter how badly I wanted to fight my way back to reality, there was nothing I could do. My bodiless soul cried without tears and without sobs, weeping for the life I’d been robbed of. I drifted into the abyss for what seemed like an eternity. If hell was eternal damnation, this was worse. There wasn’t even the endless torture to numb my thoughts, it was just a big empty nothing. Through and through. As I felt myself submit to the void, I felt skin against mine. Touch! It was  _ something _ !

 

I was ripped back to reality as I woke, Lara sitting by my side, squeezing my hand. I squinted through the morning sunlight at my once again saviour. I squeezed her hand back and tears streamed down my cheeks.

“Sam?” Lara’s eyes widened. “What’s wrong hun?” my dear Lara was ready to help, to do anything to save her Sam again. I winced.

“I lied to you Lara.” She nodded knowingly.

“The nightmares, you’re having them too,” Lara replied. I couldn’t hide what she already knew.

“I’m sorry honey... I..  _ you _ shouldn’t have to save me again!” My eyes welled up with tears of guilt. Guilt about the lies, but more so, guilt that I couldn’t save Lara from saving me.

“Oh, Sam. You don’t need to hide these things from me. I’m here for you,  _ always _ .” Lara slid down next to me and cuddled me, wiping away my tears. Tender, sweet Lara.

“Even when you’re there for Jonah?” Lara recoiled. She wasn’t expecting me to say that.

“ _ Sam. _ I had to.. I have to protect you, all of you.” she paused. “I can’t let anyone from The Endurance  _ die _ .” The words spilled from her mouth. I understood now why she was so hell-bent on protecting me. Why she was willing to drive herself down a hole of debt to fly overseas on a dime to save her friend. I couldn’t let her do that to herself though. My beautiful, selfless Lara. My protector.  _ Our Protector _ .

“I’m paying you back the cost of your plane tickets,” I said. Deadpanning Lara as I spoke the words.

She just sighed.

“ _ Okay, _ Sam.” was all she could say.

“ **What?** _ Okay _ ? That’s it? Here I thought I’d have to go on a  filibuster length speech and you’re just saying  _ yes _ ? Who are you and what have you done with Lara Croft?”  _ That _ made her smile.

“I looked at my schedule, I can’t do another job, and The Nine Bells doesn’t pay enough for me to get out of this. Ugh, I feel like an idiot.” She winced.

“Well Lara, you kind of are. A stubborn, stubborn idiot.” I booped her nose, and she giggled. Her smile warmed my heart. “But you’re my idiot Lara, and I’ll be damned if I can’t  _ save you _ once and a while.” She kissed my forehead, and it gave me butterflies. It was unlike Lara to be this touchy, it was usually me who’d bring her close, but I welcomed the change.

“Thank you, Sam,” she said, closing her eyes with a smile.

“Babe?” I asked. Lara’s eyes met mine. “Do you mind if I sleep in here for a few days? I won’t get in the way. It’s just, the nightmares-” 

“Anytime Sam.” she didn’t let me finish before I heard what I wanted. “God, I’m tired. Two plane rides and a trek through the desert in between, I’m just going to... Stay in for the day.”

I shot her a grin.

“Lara Croft? Studious, disciplined, staying in for the day? Have I finally rubbed off on you?” Lara replied with a smirk, then snuggled in closer. “Well, I’m going to class, I already missed the morning, hopefully, I can still make the afternoon. Sleep well, Lara!” I kissed her nose and started to get up but Lara just squeezed me in closer.

“ _ Stay _ ”, she mumbled. I sighed. I  _ did _ want to go to class but who was I to deny her? I submitted, pulling the sheets over us and resting my forehead against hers. 

 

I rested with Lara for hours until she violently woke, startling me in the process, I could feel her heart beating fast, as mine had been when she came to my side the last time.

“Oh, Lara honey! Let me get you some tea.” I said, unwrapping myself from the sheets and moving to the door.

“And a biscuit?” Lara called out. I chuckled.  _ I had _ rubbed off on her.

“Yes honey, definitely a biscuit.”


	3. Home Again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A short chapter which takes place immediately following the end of the Season of the Witch ark of comics.

Like the last time they left the island, the sea was unusually calm. With how much the weather in the Dragon’s Triangle had improved since Lara had destroyed Himiko, the expanse of waters would surely need renaming now.

 

After defeating the Solarii worshippers, Sam, Lara, Jonah, and Reyes had managed again to sail out and find rescue amongst the shipping lanes. It was much less trouble this time. Reyes found an old engine from the wrecks and the group jury-rigged it to the inflatable vessel Lara had brought. It wasn’t long until they made their way away from the godforsaken island.

 

Once safely on the ship that rescued them, Lara went aside to take inventory of the gear she had brought, and Reyes had gone to find some corner to think in, leaving Sam and Jonah on the deck. After they spent a few minutes listening to the waves crash against the ship's hull and the ocean wind, it was Jonah who broke the silence.

"You know, we haven't spoken much. Not since the first time we'd been to that island. How are you holding up?" Jonah was delicate, testing the waters. It was a far cry from his usual, upbeat, friendly self.

"Well, aside from being kidnapped again and having my flat trashed, just peachy," Sam said, ending with a sigh.

"You know, maybe I should move to London for a while, keep an eye on you two. Hey, I can teach you two a thing or two about cooking while I'm there!" Jonah said, shooting Sam a grin. 

Sam laughed, "Jonah! You don't need to uproot yourself for us, seriously!"

"Oh Sam, don't think I am. Moving myself to Nevada because of whatever crazy ideas that  Danny guy planted in my head, that's uprooting myself. Going to where my friends are? No, that's just going home." Jonah smiled at Sam, his kind face settling her unease.

"Well, I guess if you come to London, Lara won't need to fly herself across an Ocean again if you need saving," Sam added with a laugh.

"You two are lucky to have each other, you know. I see it in both your eyes every time you look at each other. She came to help me, she went to help Reyes, she cares for us, yes. With you, though, it's something more. You two love each other. I can tell, I always could, but what she's gone through for you, I could really tell after the island, and after what just happened." Jonah's statement caught Sam off guard. She searched her thoughts before answering.

"I know. We both do. We've loved each other for a long time Jonah. I guess we've never really talked about it, I guess we'd been happy with how things had been between us already." Sam replied, seemingly still pondering Jonah's words.

"And? Are you still happy?  _ Both _ of you? With the way things are?" Jonah pried.

"I'm happy being with Lara. Whatever that entails. I guess I just wish our lives were still simple like they were before. When we didn't need to worry about being attacked or kidnapped or having our friends taken from us." Sam said, somberly.

"All the more reason I'm definitely moving to London! C'mon Sam, it'll be fun, we can go to the theatre together! Just like we used to!" Jonah grinned, and Sam grinned back.

"Oh Jonah, you and I both know you're just looking for an excuse to drag me out to see  _ Skylight _ again!" The two laughed. They then reminisced about old times, happy to be chatting once more.

 

Meanwhile, As Lara finished confirming what gear she had left after her skirmish with the cultists, Reyes confronted her.

"Hey Lara," she said, approaching. Lara winced. "Don't worry, if I wanted to tear your head off, I would have done it a lot sooner," she added in an attempt to bring Lara's guard down.

"Well, that's a relief I suppose," Lara said sarcastically. "What do you need Reyes? Is everything okay?"

"I'm fine Lara. Look, I wanted to apologize for giving you such a hard time recently, well, for a while really. I can see you're trying hard to look out for all of us, and while my mind keeps going back to what happened after The Endurance wrecked, well... I can see you care, and that you don't deserve me being so hard on you." Reyes said, losing the confidence she usually had in her interactions.

"Wow Reyes, coming from you, that means a lot. Thanks." Lara replied, aghast at Reyes' confession.

"No Lara, thank you, for convincing me to go after these guys with you, for meeting me in Dublin and doing everything you could to save my girl. Alisha and I are lucky to have you. I'm definitely going to stay away once we get back, no offense, you're  _ kind of _ a pain in the ass." There was the usual Reyes. Lara shot her a quick smirk.

"Wait, Reyes," Lara interjected. "Before you go back, we should do something together, for Roth."

"Oh yeah? What is it you had in mind?" Reyes asked.

"I have just the idea, a place Roth took me as a girl, it would mean a lot Reyes, just a casual, friendly hike. Nothing crazy, God knows there's been well enough crazy lately to go around," Lara replied.

"You can say that again," Reyes said with a sigh. "C'mon Lara, let's check on Jonah and Sam, we're supposed to be back to land in a couple hours."

 

The two walked onto the deck and found Jonah and Sam chatting away. Lara smiled as Sam looked their way.

"Reyes, Lara," Jonah greeted. Sam, slightly shocked to see the two coming together, commented, "Hey Reyes, what'd Lara do this time? Should I paddle her?" Sam said with a laugh and smile.

" _ Sam! I didn't, you've never, I- _ " Lara replied hastily, blushing at Sam's comment.

"It's fine Sam, she didn't do anything," Reyes interrupted.

"That's a shame, I was going to have  _ so much fun _ punishing her," Sam said, winking at Lara.

" _ Sam! _ I swear, one of these days I'm going to-" Lara retaliated, before again being interrupted by Sam, "To what? Go on Lara, now I'm  _ really interested. _ " Sam said, leaning forward, cradling her face in her hands and giving Lara a seductive look.

"You know, if you two need a room, I'm sure the Captain wouldn't mind," Jonah interjected with a grin.

"Jonah! I swear  _ not you _ too!" Lara cried. She was beet red and finally, Sam and Jonah burst into laughter. Even Reyes was hiding a smirk.

 

It was Reyes who spoke first after the laughter died down.

"I heard we'll be back to land in a couple hours. I'm glad this whole mess is all over."

"Definitely," Sam said, adding, "I swear, the universe has it out for us."

"Sam, I know we've been through a lot, but everything that happens to us has a purpose. Life challenges us to make us stronger, even when we feel we least need it to. These experiences make us who we are." Jonah said.

"And what about when life's challenges kill us? What then?" Lara replied.

"Then we become the torch that lights the way for others to succeed," Jonah concluded.

"As poetic as that sounds Jonah, I agree with Lara,  _ for once _ . I'd rather be there to lead my daughter to success than only be a memory." Reyes countered.

"Well, like you said, in a couple hours, we'll port, and you'll get to talk to her again," Sam said, breaking the growing tension.

"Here here! C'mon you guys, let us go get something to eat, I don't know about all of you, but I've grown quite the appetite!" Jonah added as he stood up.

"Oh Jonah, always thinking with your stomach," Sam quipped.

"Hey! There's a reason I became a cook!" Jonah said.

"As you always say, Jonah," Lara added. Jonah, Sam, and Lara laughed as they and Reyes went into the ship. More at ease with each other than they had been for weeks.


	4. Clean Up, Clean Up!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chapter taking place between Season of the Witch and Secrets and Lies. Lara and Sam return to their apartment and have to clean up the mess the Solarii worshipers made. The two get emotional at different points and comfort each other in different ways. Enjoy!

It was late afternoon the day after their flight from Japan by the time Sam and Lara made it back to their flat in London. The two young women were eager to start cleaning the mess that the Solarii worshippers had made of their apartment. Usually, after a twelve-hour flight, Sam would have been eager to drag her friend to the couch and watch something or play on their original Playstation they’d kept for so long to de-stress. This time, however, the couch cushions were strewn about the floor, their TV had been knocked over and their Playstation was tossed off to the side. They had to clean up at least a bit if they wanted to actually live in their home again.    
  
Since the two had arrived, neither had said a word, other than exchanged sighs as they examined the damage. It was Sam who spoke first.   
“ _ Fuck! _ ” Sam blurted. “Sorry, this is just, such a huge mess, you know? I didn’t even  _ get the lights on _ by the time those crazy daughters of Matsu dressed like corpses had already  _ dragged me out the door _ .” Sam was ready to continue her rant, but Lara interrupted her and wrapped her arms around Sam protectively, Lara shushed her softly, and told Sam they’d fix it, that they’d get things back on track. Sam calmed down as she always did in Lara’s embrace, before concluding,   
“Sorry sweetie, I guess I just didn’t really get a chance to process everything that had happened until now. I mean, I had seen they’d trashed the place, but goodness Lara, look at this!” She said, pointedly, looking around their apartment.   
“Well, I guess I can’t really pester you to do the washing up this time.” Lara joked. Sam chuckled and grabbed hold of her friend’s hands wrapped around her waist and turned her head to meet Lara’s gaze with a grin.   
“Small victories! You get off this time too, Croft. Finally, it’s not your fault that your books are scattered across the place!” Sam replied.    
  
Lara averted her gaze to the door of her room, where Lara’s books and notes were scattered  _ everywhere _ both inside and beyond her doorway. Her heart sank. She quickly let Sam go and rushed to examine the sight. Panic set in when she saw that her books had been opened and tossed face down on the floor, which had caused all her notes and bookmarks to fall out. She hastily crouched down and tried to sort out her now disorganized collection and as she found that the disaster zone was much larger than she anticipated.   
Lara threw one of her books across the apartment, screamed and cursed in frustration and grabbed her hair, tugging it violently. Sam quickly came to her side, wrapping an arm around her distressed friend’s shoulder and grasping her hand with the other.   
“Oh honey, it’s okay, I know you’ll have everything back the way it was in no time,” Sam said supportively. Unfortunately, Lara wasn’t convinced, wincing as she tried to hold off a full-on panic attack.   
“But-but, it’s such a mess and it’ll take me forever to find everything and  _ oh god _ Sam what if I can’t find all my notes when I need them and we’re in trouble again and, and, oh god  _ this is really bad! _ ” Lara said, panicked, as she broke down into tears and hyperventilated in the process. Sam grabbed both of Lara’s hands and pressed their foreheads together. She shushed her friend sweetly and tried her best to calm her, speaking reassuring words once again.   
“Hey, shhhhhhh. Breathe Lara, just breathe, okay? Deep breaths, with me, alright hun?” Lara looked up and Sam met her gaze. Lara mumbled a “mhmm” and Sam continued, saying “breath in,” as she inhaled, continuing with, “and out,” as she exhaled. Lara copied her breaths and Sam continued until her friend’s breathing slowed and the grip on her hands loosened. Neither broke eye contact until Lara looked down, sighing.   
Sam comforted her again, cupping Lara’s cheek and meeting her gaze once more as Sam spoke again.   
“Look, honey, let’s just gather the books with the notes next to them, and put them nicely away in your room, then you won’t have to crawl around the floor when you want to reorganize? Okay, sweetie? You don’t have to do it all in one day. It’ll be alright Lara, just remember what you told me, okay?” Lara digested Sam’s words and it struck her that the two had just switched roles. If the damage they’d seen thus far had been any indication, it would be at least a few more stressful discoveries before things calmed down. She froze when she realized that while she had succeeded in slowing her breathing, her heart was still beating its way out of her chest. Lara realized the reason why was that her and Sam’s faces were intimately close. She could feel Sam’s warm breath touch her lips, and it made her feel dizzy. Sam saw her friend’s frightened face and only smiled, saying,   
“Hey there sweetie, I’m here, let’s tidy this mess up okay? If we keep staring at all the damage and not doing anything, I’m gonna freak again too!” Sam chuckled. Lara unwittingly closed her eyes and moved her lips closer to her best friend’s, but Sam pulled away before their lips could meet.   
  
Lara sat for a few seconds before opening her eyes, Sam was surveying the mess of books and notes spread across the floor. Lara snapped out of the trance she’d been in, and went to start cleaning with Sam.   
“Uhmm… Sorry Sam, I, I suppose I was up in space.” Lara told Sam as Sam flashed her a smile. The two began sorting out the scattered books and notes, setting them into individual piles so Lara could sort through them later, as Sam had suggested. The more progress the two made, the more Lara relaxed.    
  
The women worked in silence, before out of nowhere, Sam began singing, “Clean up! Clean up! Everybody do your share! Clean up clean up! Everybody everywhere!” Lara giggled as Sam sang, and, perplexed, asked,   
“Oh my god Sam, what are you singing?” Sam paused, realizing her English friend was likely unfamiliar with the playful tune.   
“It’s a song I and other kids used to sing in daycare Lara! Hadn’t you ever heard it before?” Sam replied. Lara thought back to her own childhood, she remembered hearing it  _ at some point _ , but she’d never really sung or heard it sung in any real-life situation.   
“Humm, I suppose not, I’ve heard of the song, but I suppose my family’s butler, Winston, never let me actually do the cleaning up. Poor old Winston, he’d always insisted he take care of the manor, even if and when others were more than willing to help,” Lara reminisced.    
  
Sam listened attentively but was quickly pulled into her own thoughts, it wasn’t always easy getting Lara to talk about her childhood. While Sam’s parents were happy giving her a practically unlimited line of credit and sending her off to daycares and boarding schools to get rid of her, Lara’s life was very different. From what Lara had told Sam, Lara’s parents loved her very much, and when she lost them so early into her life, she had tried so hard to distance herself from her family’s legacy, from their money, their massive manor she’d only mentioned to Sam in passing, and their work. Even after she lost them, she gained a surrogate father in Roth, but now, after Yamatai, Sam and the other survivors were all she had left.   
  
Lara pulled Sam out of her thoughts when she had said,   
“Hey! Earth to Samantha! Are you listening to me? God, now I know how you must feel when I’m inattentive…” Sam chuckled, even though the two friends knew each other better than anyone else, lately it seemed they continued finding out new things about each other.   
“Sorry sweetie, I was just thinking about you. Like, it’s so easy for me to forget about the family and background you came from, you try so hard to hide it. Since  _ the island _ , though, you’ve been so much more open about it. What’s changed, hun?” Lara listened and spoke her thoughts as she replied,   
“I don’t know, I guess after all the crazy stuff we’ve kept seeing after we went to that  _ island _ , I finally realized my father wasn’t crazy. I hated him for so long, and now, I don’t know what to think anymore.” Sam digested Lara’s response and sighed to herself. She stared blankly at the floor before Lara noticed and asked what was wrong, and Sam replied.   
“I’m jealous. I know, it’s not fair, and I’m sorry. It’s just, my parents spent my whole life trying to get rid of me and then they freaked after we got back from the island. Then as soon as they knew I was okay they went back to their own lives and completely forgot about me. Lara, they haven’t even tried to contact me once since we’ve been back. You’re just, so lucky to have had your parents while you did. I wish I could have met them, sweetie.” Sam’s heart ached as she made her confession. Lara was as much family to Sam as she was to Lara. At the same time, she couldn’t stop thinking about the conversation she had had with Jonah. She wasn’t oblivious to the feelings of warmth and butterflies in her stomach when she and Lara were close, and she hadn’t failed to notice Lara going in for a kiss earlier either. Was she really happy? Was Lara? It was clear to Sam that their relationship could easily become something more, that the intimacy Sam craved could easily be hers, but there was something pulling her back, and she didn’t know what it was. Sam got pulled away from her thoughts again when Lara announced they were finished cleaning up Lara’s books and notes. She then put a hand on Sam’s shoulder, squeezing it lightly.   
“It’s okay Sam, we’ll always have each other,” Lara said warmly. She smiled lovingly at Sam, and once more, Sam felt butterflies in her stomach.   
  
At that moment, Sam was ready to move over to Lara and give her the kiss she’d wanted earlier. It would be so easy, such a simple thing that Sam was sure would make the two of them the happiest people in the world. Sam wasn’t sure of it either, but she was completely right. When Jonah had pointed out the lengths Lara would go through to save Sam, he was correct in the conclusion that it was love. However, Sam felt a familiar feeling stopping her. She felt feelings of anger and contempt, and she couldn’t figure out where the feelings were coming from. Sam knew they weren’t her own, but at the same time, as much as Sam wanted to feel Lara’s embrace, to be intimate in ways they couldn’t as friends, the foreign emotions stopped her like a brick wall.   
  
Frustrated, Sam shot a quick smile to Lara and distracted herself by moving across the flat to inspect the damage done to their couch and TV setup. The couch wasn’t too bad, at least the cushions didn’t appear to be ripped or otherwise damaged. Sam found a handheld vacuum and quickly cleaned the couch and its cushions. Putting them back in their original locations. Now, she and Lara would finally be able to rest. Sam sat on the couch, leaned back into the cushions and breathed a sigh of relief. A few moments later, Lara sat down next to her. Sam leaned against Lara, happy to have the familiarity of their favourite lounging spot back.   
  
Unfortunately for Sam, when she realized the TV was still knocked over she also realized things weren’t quite back to normal yet.    
Sam sighed, “You know, I could really go for cuddles and a movie right now, but I guess that won’t be happening until our TV is no longer knocked over on the floor.” Lara looked at Sam,   
“I could too, we could just skip the movie…”   
“Oh sweetie, you know I’d love that, but if I just sit here when the rest of our apartment is such a mess, I’m going to go crazy!” Sam said, getting up off their couch and moving towards the knocked over TV.   
  
As Sam lifted the TV upright and saw the shattered screen, she felt her blood boil.   
“Oh my GOD! Our beautiful beautiful Trinitron! The PlayStation too!” Sam cried.  “Please tell me you killed them all, Lara! I’m not one for the death penalty, but for this, it’s totally worth it!” She added.   
“Sam! It’s not like we can’t replace them!” Lara replied, aghast at her friend's reaction, and at the violence she had just encouraged.   
“Furniture I can replace! But this CRT TV was one of the last of it’s kind! You have no idea how much of a pain it was for me to find, let alone how hard it will be for me to find a replacement!” Sam wailed. Lara had known Sam had gone through a lot of trouble to get the TV. What she didn’t really understand was why Sam insisted bringing the huge thing that weighed as much as a sack of bricks with her the few times they moved. She remembered Sam saying something about “ _ superior picture quality _ ” or “ _ the crispness and warmth of an analog picture _ ”. She’d suggested to Sam they could just buy one of those big HD TVs, but Sam had scoffed at the idea. It was only now when the aging behemoth sat destroyed in front of a furious Sam that Lara realized how important it was to her best friend.   
  
Lara knelt next to Sam and wrapped an arm around her. Sam was still busy inspecting the damage done to her precious gadgets, and Lara just sighed. “We’ll find new ones, okay Sam?” she said supportively. Lara’s best friend turned to face her, and she looked mortified. When Sam spoke again, it was hushed, she was clearly holding back anger.   
“I spent months looking through  _ every damn classified ad _ I could find before I got that TV. You have to look locally, you know.” Lara wanted to say something, anything, to cheer Sam up at this point, but all she could do was listen. “CRTs are big and somewhat fragile, so they’re damn near impossible to ship without the original packaging, and nobody keeps packaging from big TVs, so...” Sam paused as she looked back at the smashed TV. Lara filled the brief moment of silence with a comment she hoped would distract her friend.   
“Hey, at least now I don’t have to hear you brag about how you’re ‘better’ at Crash Bandicoot than me now that the Playstation’s toast,” Lara said. The distraction worked.   
“What? Oh my god Lara, are you still grumpy about me always getting more boxes than you?” All of a sudden, Sam was positively  _ beaming _ now that she’d been given an opportunity to make fun of her bestie. “Don’t hate me, Lara! It’s not my fault I’m talented!” Sam stuck her nose in the air as she spoke, imitating Lara’s accent.   
“ _ Sam! _ One, I  _ do not _ sound like that. Two, I just prefer to complete the levels and actually have fun! I don’t have to go after every collectible to have a good time!”   
“Oh Lara, you're just mad because I'm better than you.” Sam quipped.   
“ _ You are insufferable, Samantha, _ ” Lara replied exhaustedly.   
“Oh shut up, you love meeee!” Sam grinned victoriously at Lara. Lara sighed. “You know I do.” Lara leaned into Sam and in return Sam rested her head on her friend's shoulder. The two sat in silence for a while before Lara finally said, “You know, you’ve done this before, and you know I have no problem doing a little investigative research. I'm sure the two of us will have no trouble finding another TV.” Lara said assuredly.   
“You think so?” Sam replied.   
“I know so,” said Lara.   
  
Sam sighed, as much as she had faith in Lara, the invasion of their home and destruction of not only their possessions, but their memories, still hurt.   
“I just don’t get it,” Sam said. “If they were there for me, why did they have to trash everything? Wasn’t kidnapping me enough?” Lara realized Sam didn’t know the whole story. After a long sigh, Lara then went on to retell the account of how Danny had given her, Jonah, and Reyes artifacts linked to the ritual the Solarii Worshippers performed, brainwashed them into thinking they had taken them from Yamatai, and how she had unknowingly hidden hers and not known. She explained that it was an artifact the cultists had been after when they ransacked her and Sam’s flat, and when they couldn’t find it and Sam came home, they decided they could use Sam to blackmail Lara into handing over her piece.    
  
Sam digested the information, before retorting with a witty remark, “I guess you are that predictable then Lara, they knew you’d saved the pretty princess on Yamatai once before and that you’d be willing to do it again!” She squeezed Lara’s arm, looking at Lara with a grin. Lara blushed when she met Sam’s gaze, “Sam! We both know you aren’t some damsel that only needs saving. You took down Matsu remember? You don’t need me to save you all the time, I know you’re more than capable Sam. If anyone tries to hurt you again. Remember that.” Sam looked at Lara, speechless and touched by what Lara had said. As she looked at her best friend, she saw what Jonah had described. Lara was looking at Sam with pure adoration, respect, and genuine concern. She smiled, cupping Lara’s cheek in her hand and didn’t realize she was crying until Lara asked, “Sam? Hey, what’s wrong?”   
Sam chuckled lightly, “Nothing. Nothing Lara, it’s just... You’re so sweet and caring, I’m so happy to have you, and.. I love you. I love you so much.” Lara wiped a tear that was streaming down Sam’s face, and Sam brought Lara in for a hug when she realized she was blushing and just pronounced her love for her best friend. Not that it was a big deal, the two were very close and already knew how each other felt. Whenever it came to say it, however, really admitting it in full honesty, both Lara and Sam became as awkward with each other as the late Alex Weiss was with Lara.   
  
Sam caught her breath and released Lara from the hug. Standing back up to look for where the two would be cleaning next. Changing the topic of their previous conversation, Sam asked, “So, where did you hide that artifact anyway? Clearly not anywhere they appear to have looked. You must have hidden it pretty well.” Sam moved to the kitchen and started picking up broken dishes and scattered cutlery from the floor, tossing the porcelain chunks in the trash and the cutlery in the sink. Lara laughed as she stood up, thinking of the answer to Sam’s question.   
“Oh my god Sam, you’ll never take me seriously if I tell you where I hid it, you’ll just have to guess.” She chuckled to herself.   
“What? Oh come on, tell me! It’s not like you would have stuffed it in a box of Jaffa Cakes or something.” Sam pried. Lara froze, her cheeks growing red with embarrassment. Sam glanced over at Lara and saw her face, causing her to immediately connect the dots. Sam burst out laughing, she walked over to Lara, who simply stood there frozen.   
“ _ Bahaha! _ Oh, Croft, I know you all too well, don’t I? Damn it, you are just  _ adorable! _ ” She pinched Lara’s cheeks as one would expect a grandmother to do to a grandchild, and walked back to the kitchen, chuckling to herself.   
“Sam..! That’s not fair, I… Well, they didn’t find it, did they?” Lara blurted, flustered.   
“Oh Lara, they only missed it because they weren’t me!” Sam replied, adding, “Jeez, we know each other so well, we may as well be married!” She chuckled to herself while she continued to clean the kitchen. It was then she heard Lara mutter under her breath, “Maybe, someday we will be…”. Sam froze, and looked over at Lara, asking, “Did you say something sweetie?” Unfazed, Lara calmly replied,   
“Oh nothing, umm, did you want some help over there? I totally realized I’ve just been standing here watching you work not doing anything.”   
“Sure sweetie, the floor is a mess, I’d love your help,” Sam replied. The two of them then got to work cleaning up the floor, which was still covered with most of the contents of their kitchen. After a few minutes, Sam mumbled, “Hmm, that’d be nice.” She smiled lovingly at her friend and went back to cleaning. Lara paused, she wasn’t completely sure she heard Sam correctly, and thought,  _ “I’m sure Sam didn’t hear me say that, but then…“ _ Sam stopped her thought process, asking, “hey, you gonna help? We can think and clean at the same time silly!” Poking Lara’s shoulder.   
“Sorry, yeah, lost in my thoughts again,” Lara said, giving Sam an embarrassed look. Sam just smiled, then shoved a broom and dustpan into Lara’s hands and said, “Well, like I said, you can get lost in your thoughts while you help me clean.” She poked Lara again and shot her a grin. The two laughed and continued cleaning. Neither of them really processed what they both just admitted to themselves, but like Sam had said, they were happy to be together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! I hope you're enjoying this so far! I set up a good few things that will come up later in this chapter, it's all in the details ;). I've got the next couple chapters of this planned, so hopefully I should have them up in the coming weeks. :)


	5. That’s a Promise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Lara leaves Sam behind to go to Pripyat alone in search for Kaz, Sam is sick of feeling useless. She sets out to prove to herself that Lara is wrong and later meets up with Jonah when he arrives in London.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Here's chapter five. Sorry it took longer than usual, this chapter ended up being a lot longer than usual and went through a lot of revisions and things before I got happy with it.
> 
> Anyway, this is another, Sam focused chapter, and in case you hadn't noticed by now, Sam is basically the main character of this fic, since I wanted to focus on her side of things since the comics focus so much on Lara.
> 
> But yeah, I'll stop rambling for now and let the chapter speak for itself, enjoy!

Sam packed her gear and dressed prepared to leave. Earlier in the day, Lara had gone on a hike with Reyes to honour Roth’s passing, and while the trip had gone well, Lara had a vision or a hallucination, neither Sam nor Lara knew what it was. She had become convinced that Kaz Weiss, sister of the late Alex Weiss, was in trouble, and was presently speaking to Kaz and Alex’s mother on the phone regarding this.   
  
Sam stood at the edge of their flat’s small hallway, out of Lara’s sight, and waited until Lara finished her phone conversation. Normally, Sam wouldn’t consider surprising Lara like she was about to, the conversation Lara had didn’t sound particularly pleasant for her, but if she waited, then Lara would be gone, and Sam would be left behind, again.   
  
The second Lara put down the phone, Sam took a deep breath, and stepped into the open, only greeting her friend by saying,   
“ _ Well? _ ”   
“Well, what?” Lara asked.   
“Well, where are we going? That was Alex’s Mother, Right?” replied Sam, getting straight to the point, adding,   
“Didn’t she say where his sister is now?”   
Lara stood up, replying,   
“She thinks Kaz is in the Ukraine. She lost contact a week ago. But she says she feels she’s in trouble.”   
Lara approached Sam, resting her hands on the shoulders of Sam’s peach coloured coat, and meeting her face to face.   
“Sam.  _ I’m going alone. _ ”   
When the words came out of Lara’s mouth, they made Sam’s heart sink, she’d expected as much, but the entire time, had been hoping that if she timed things just right, and was determined enough, she wouldn’t be left behind this time.   
“No, you’re not,” Sam retorted, her emotions fueling her words and her face turning into a scowl.   
“Sam,” Lara began but was cut off once more by the friend she so desperately wanted to bring along but was convinced she absolutely couldn’t.   
“We  _ always go together _ . Always,” said Sam, repeating the sentence Lara had agreed to on the rescue ship after Yamatai. Sam saw disappointment and remorse wash over Lara’s face and knew what that meant.   
“Not this time, Sam,” Lara said, somberly. Sam didn’t have time to reply this time, as her friend surprised her with a tight embrace.   
“Please, Sam. Try to understand. This is no place for you.”   
  
Sam didn’t have time to return the hug before her friend had slipped back into her room to prepare. She wanted to understand, so she waited for her. Kaz was apparently in danger, but Sam didn’t understand why ‘the Ukraine’ as Lara described it, was seemingly so dangerous that Lara was so convinced she needed to go alone. Then it dawned on her.  _ Pripyat _ . It couldn’t be there, that Lara was going? It was far-fetched, but this was Lara Croft, she’d break into the damned U.S. Department of Defense if she had to, stubborn as she was.   
  
So Sam waited, and while she did, she prepared tea and packed away Lara’s barely eaten burger so she could eat it on the go. If Lara was convinced wherever she was going was no place for Sam, the least Sam could do was the tiniest bit of preparation for her best friend. Yet, she couldn’t shake the feeling of uselessness and had become so engrossed in her thoughts she almost missed Lara when she tried to sneak her way to the flat’s entry door.   
  
“Hey, did you think you could leave without saying goodbye?” Sam asked angrily, trying her best to disguise her tone with forced playfulness. Lara sighed, turning to her flatmate.   
“Sorry, I thought you’d try to convince me to let you come with me again,” replied the now leather jumpsuit equipped Lara Croft.   
“I want to, but you’re the stubbornest person I know, so I’ll let you go,” Sam said defeatedly. Lara opened her lips to speak, but Sam spoke before her friend could.   
“Before you go, I made you some tea which I put in this thermos and packed your burger in this bag! Don’t even think of leaving without them, you leaving without me is bad enough,” Sam added, picking up the thermos and lunch bag, handing them to Lara. Lara took them and shot Sam a warm smile.   
“Thank you, Sam.”   
“Lara, I want to help, you know that. It was the least I could do. Look, if you’re going to Chernobyl, please be safe, you know you worry me to death whenever you leave me behind like this,” Sam retorted.   
“How did you know I was going to Chernobyl?”   
“I know you, Lara, if you think someplace is so bad you absolutely refuse to bring me along, there has to be a reason for it,” Sam said, pausing to gauge her friend’s reaction. When Lara gave her a look of consideration, Sam grasped for her hands and held them softly like the two had gotten used to doing.   
“Lara, if things go south, and knowing you, they will; just remember your  _ girlfriend _ is waiting back here for you, and she’ll fucking murder you if your pretty ass gets herself killed.”   
It was a risky choice of words, but Sam knew how Lara ticked, and right now, she was playing Lara’s heartstrings as best as she knew how. Lara looked shocked, but not upset. She said nothing, and before the room grew too silent, drew Sam into another powerful hug. This time, Sam was able to return it, and before Lara left, she said,   
“I  _ will _ come back, Sam. That’s a promise.”   
Sam eased out of the embrace, and gently held Lara’s hands once more, before saying only,   
“Good.”   
As Lara lingered, Sam let go of her hands and gently shoved Lara towards the door.   
“Now go on and get out there before I change my mind and come with you anyways! You stubborn Croft!”   
Lara exited the apartment, but before she did, turned and shared one last smile with her longtime friend, and then she was gone.    
With that, Sam let out a long, drawn-out sigh, and promptly went to bed. She didn’t want to linger on the encounter, not now, she’d deal with it later.   
  
  
The next day, Sam decided she wouldn’t let her emotions fester, and first thing in the morning, booked time at a shooting range to prove to herself that she wasn’t useless as Lara seemed to think. It was early afternoon by the time Sam arrived at the shooting range, and since she hadn’t been before, the staff assigned her an instructor to show her the basics of firearm operation and safety procedures. The instructor ended up being an attractive blond man with an accent similar to Lara’s that Sam was sure she’d have been all over back in her College days, but today, she had a goal, and she hadn’t been at all interested in boys, or girls for that matter, since Yamatai.   
  
When Sam and the instructor got to the range, she was taught the basics of how to use pistols, how to check the magazine, reload, turn on and off the safety, and was warned of the recoil she’d have to look out for. She picked it all up with ease, confident and prepared to show the instructor, and more importantly, herself, what she was capable of. The instructor guided Sam’s hand, straightening her posture and telling her to ease her tensed muscles, that it would be easier if she focused, and approached things in a more relaxed state.   
  
Sam was annoyed at how flirtatious the instructor was being, how she was being ‘ _ guided _ ’ by him and how uncomfortably close he seemed to be getting. She was barely paying attention when the instructor said something that she knew was important.   
“Alright, focus. Aim, then fire,” guided the instructor. Distracted by his choice of words, Sam thought back to the advice Roth had given Lara that she heard second hand. Sam spoke the words from memory, paraphrasing as best as she remembered.   
“You can have the best technique in the world, but it won’t matter if you can’t focus. The key to using any weapon, is focus.”   
“Exactly!” The instructor said enthusiastically, “That’s exactly it, now, like you said, get the technique down, then focus on the target.”   
“Okay,” replied Sam, and she held up the pistol, aimed down the sights and lined up her shot.   
“Now, forget that I’m here, then fire,” the instructor added, backing away from Sam as she prepared to shoot.   
Eased by the fact she now had her personal space back, Sam tuned out everything around her and fired her shot. The bullet went clean through the target’s shoulder area, and following, Sam turned to her instructor and shot him a grin.   
“Whew! So, how’d I do?”   
“Not bad! You’ve still got the rest of a magazine, why don’t you see how good your aim is with the rest of those bullets?” Sam checked the magazine, and a spark of confidence surged through her. The last time she had a gun she was cornered and had no idea how many bullets she had to defend herself with, now, she knew, and she knew how to check. With that, Sam tuned out the world around her and fired the remaining shots into the target, all of them hitting square in the head.   
  
Sam shot the instructor a prideful smile, before asking,   
“So, how was that?”   
“That was great! Where’d you learn to shoot like that? I thought you said you were new to this?” The instructor asked.   
“I shot a would-be kidnapper in the face once,” Sam said, pausing as she noticed a look of fear and concern growing on her instructor’s face.   
“Self defence! Anyway, my girlfriend seems to think I can’t look out for myself, so I came here to prove her wrong.” As Sam said the word ‘girlfriend’ she noticed a tinge of disappointment on the instructor’s face, and she noted to herself how the jealousy she interpreted and calling Lara her girlfriend felt  _ good _ .   
“Well then, next time you can bring her here and show her yourself!” Noted the instructor, and Sam agreed.   
  
With her initial training done, Sam was now free to use pistols at the range whenever she wanted. So she spent the next hour practicing her aim with a pistol, moving through the difficulty tiers of the range’s moving targets. She was a good shot, though she was no Lara, Lara had years of archery practice to go on that had helped her when things went south on their expedition. Sam, however, could definitely hold her own, and for whatever reason, defending herself on Yamatai hadn’t taken the same emotional toll on her as it did her best friend. Sam wasn’t cold, she was always the more social of the pair, but when Lara first killed, it was desperation. When Sam first killed, it was fueled with resolve. She’d been imprisoned by Mathias and his Solarii for more hours, maybe days, than she kept track of, and when the chance to defend herself presented it, she had taken it without a second thought.   
  
Sam thought about that resolve as she made her way back to her and Lara’s flat. Did her willingness to kill make her a monster? She hadn’t thought much about that Solarii she shot or how she cut Matsu’s throat before. For a moment, Sam doubted herself, those were two men, Lara had killed hundreds. Was she really going to be able to follow Lara into hell if she had to? It was a fleeting thought, and she broke out of it as she reminded herself of her skills at the shooting range. While Sam knew she couldn’t necessarily match Lara, she also knew that she could handle herself. Sam decided that should anything happen in the future, she would fight, too. If Sam wanted to stay with Lara, and not be left behind, she needed to prove her worth to her stubborn and protective friend, and that was exactly what she’d do.   
  
  
By the time she made it home, Sam had been so engrossed in her own self-retrospective she hadn’t noticed she’d missed a few calls from Jonah during the day. Sam quickly dialed Jonah and waited through the synthetic tones impatiently, embarrassed she’d missed her other best friend’s call as many times as she did.   
“Hey Jonah!” Sam greeted happily as soon as she heard the tones end.   
“Oh my god, I’m so sorry I missed your calls earlier, I was out and totally ignoring my phone. I know right? Not what you usually expect from me!” Sam said, ending with a chuckle.   
“Hi Sam,” Jonah replied, his soft voice sparing Sam from her embarrassment.   
“So I guess you and Lara are busy today? I haven’t been able to reach her either,” he added.   
“Oh yeah, I guess you could say that, Lara’s not around right now,” replied Sam, trying to avoid the subject of her flatmate’s departure.   
“Well, I just wanted to say I’m coming to London tomorrow! Will you two be around? I’d love to meet up when I fly in,” Jonah added. Sam sighed to herself. She doubted Lara would be back by then, so she’d have to come clean to Jonah anyway.   
“Yeah, I’d love to! Lara is uh... out of town though, so it’ll just be me,” replied Sam, a hint of regret in her voice.   
“Oh, okay, is everything alright, Sam?” Jonah asked concern showing in his voice.   
“Yeah, everything’s okay, we can talk more tomorrow though!” Sam lied but still spoke with enthusiasm audible in her voice.   
“Alright, Sam, I’ll message you the details later, see you tomorrow!” Jonah concluded. The two friends said goodbye and as Sam ended the call, her earlier confidence disappeared. She recalled that despite being capable, despite proving that to herself barely an hour earlier, Lara still left her behind.   
  
That was just it. Lara was off probably getting herself nearly killed again in one of the most dangerous places in the world and Sam was left behind in their flat, why exactly? Sam knew the reason, but she couldn’t help over-analyse the situation. Sam knew Lara left her behind as a way to protect her because Lara was so terrified of anything happening to Sam that she would probably give life with Sam up entirely to protect her.   
The problem is the feeling was mutual. Sam knew this, but Lara most likely didn’t. Sam would just as quickly choose to sacrifice her own well-being, her own happiness, her own life and her own soul, for Lara. She knew this for sure because when Matsu had kidnapped her and dragged her back to Yamatai, Sam had tried to do exactly that. Let the Solarii worshippers recreate the possession ritual Mathias had attempted and failed. Sam had been fortunate enough that recreating said ritual wasn’t what Matsu had intended, but the fact still stood, Sam had been there. She’d willingly allowed her own sacrifice for Lara.   
  
This was the heart of the problem. While Lara was protecting Sam by leaving her behind, the choice was tearing Sam apart because every time Lara left on one of her dangerous solo missions, Sam was terrified of anything happening to her, and frustrated to no end at how useless she was made to be.   
  
  
Before Sam would end up spending her entire day looping through the same unpleasant circle of thoughts, she resumed her usual ritual of distraction. She resumed her work on the projects from the classes she was taking and later ordered herself a rather expensive pizza from the fanciest pizza place she was able to look up that delivered. In what seemed like no time at all, it was already late in the evening, and just from the emotional strain alone, Sam was exhausted. Instead of sleeping in her own bed though, she dragged some of her blankets to the living room and snuggled up on the couch. Sleeping in Lara’s bed was certainly something Sam would love to do, and had done before when she was feeling particularly lonely. There was, however, a particular feeling of warmth Sam felt from being on the couch, the reason being unlike Lara’s bed, Sam and Lara had been on their couch together. Sam thought back to all the times the two had snuggled up against one another and watched anything and everything or were rowdy playing video games, it was almost surreal for Sam to think about. So much of the pair’s relationship had been spent together on the couch.   
  
So Sam relaxed, thought back to happy memories, and began to drift away. Unfortunately for Sam, a certain familiar foreign collection of malevolent emotions had drifted it’s way to the surface of her consciousness, and before Sam was even aware of it, she was already asleep.   
  
  
All of a sudden, Sam was with Lara again, though, for whatever reason, Lara seemed distant, emotionally guarded. When Sam looked at her friend’s face, it was sad, showing a look of concern and hurt. Sam wanted badly to ask what was wrong and if Lara was okay, but as much as she wanted to, she couldn’t speak.   
  
Sam’s focus on Lara was broken when she noticed their apartment the two had been standing in. It was certainly the same apartment, but it looked different somehow, things were rearranged slightly, and there were a few new additions she hadn’t remembered.   
It didn’t seem important though, what did seem important was that Sam needed to prepare. She didn’t know what for, but she rushed to her room regardless, quickly threw on a fresh outfit and began tossing things into a backpack. She wasn’t sure what she was packing for, everything blurred together and Sam wasn’t even sure what she was packing, but all of a sudden she had a fresh outfit and a backpack on her back and was out of her bedroom faster than she had been in.    
Lara was standing in the kitchen leaning down against the counter reading something, and a thought pierced Sam’s consciousness.   
“ _ Now’s your chance. _ ”   
Before Sam or Lara figured out what was happening, Sam was standing over Lara with a cast iron frying pan in hand and Lara was writhing on the floor, clenching the back of her head in pain.   
“What the hell is going on?” Sam thought. Her thoughts spiraled every which way trying to come up with an explanation for what had just happened and what she was going to do, but before Sam could do anything, before Sam could say anything, her mouth was opened for her, and the words which came were pure dread.   
  
Sam felt dizzy, her vision blurred, and soon, there was nothing. Literally. The cold, empty void that greeted her in dreams before was back. Sam didn’t try to cry out this time. All she could do was figuratively sit back, and mentally sigh.   
  
  
The emptiness of the void at first had been hard for Sam to differentiate between her own closed eyelids, but as she slowly felt the intricacies of her consciousness take hold, and felt her body pressed against the couch and blankets, she realized she was awake again.   
Sam gasped as she opened her eyes. She was about to call for Lara but stopped a second short of yelling her name, remembering she was alone. What worsened Sam’s mood was that, based on what the light coming in through the window looked like, she concluded it was probably only around six or seven in the morning. It was far too early to start her day, and yet, after the experience she had, Sam wasn’t going to be sleeping any time soon.   
Reluctantly, Sam untangled herself from the sheets and began distracting herself by being productive. A little over an hour later and she had already had a shower, eaten a full breakfast, and was now making good progress on finishing the class work she had been working on the previous day.    
  
Sam walked to the kitchen for a glass of water, but when she arrived there she completely forgot why she had walked there in the first place. While trying to remember, she glanced around and noticed things scattered about the flat. It was subtle, but this was Sam’s home, and she could tell when things were out of place.   
Deciding to investigate, she caught a glimpse of her own bedroom and noticed her closet door was open. Sam was sure she’d had it closed before, but what was more noticeable was that as Sam neared a window, the Sun appeared to be much higher in the sky than before. Nothing seemed right.   
“Hello? Anyone there?” Sam called but received no answer. She tried to rationalize the situation, tried to figure out an explanation for what was going on. Sam knew she wasn’t a sleepwalker, but maybe, she’d one-off slept walked to the kitchen, and woken up after Lara had gotten home? None of it made sense, and no explanation Sam could think of added up either.   
  
Fearing the worst, Sam grabbed a knife from the kitchen and cautiously began to search the flat. Her heart was beating out of her chest but in every corner, every potential hiding place she looked-and she knew where they all were, there was nothing. She found nothing but a large number of her and Lara’s things that were disorganized and left in disarray. It was as if someone had been through their entire apartment and rummaged through it all. But shouldn’t Sam have seen an intruder? She’d been home all day, and yet…   
  
The sound of a text message notification tore Sam away from thinking about the situation immediately. She ran towards the noise and panic struck when she read the message. Jonah’s plane was landing in nearly half an hour, and Sam was still at home.   
  
Hastily, Sam threw her wallet, phone, and a few other necessities in her purse, grabbed another slice of pizza, and ran out the door.   
Sam didn’t even think about the strange events of the past couple days as she commuted to the airport. She was immersed in finding the most efficient route possible. Since the airport was halfway across the city, and she concluded traffic would slow her down too much, she opted to take the tube rather than a taxi and making sure she got off at the correct stops and switched over to the correct lines took her full attention.   
  
By the time Sam made it to the airport, it was ten minutes later than she had hoped to arrive, but ironically, her timing couldn’t have been better. Jonah had just gotten through security and had a huge grin on his face as he saw Sam.   
The two met in a hug where Jonah lifted Sam slightly into the air. They laughed lightly as Sam was let back onto the ground.   
“Wow, I always forget how intense your hugs are,” stated Sam jovially.   
“Well, you know I’m always happy to see my friends!”   
“That you are,” replied Sam, adding, “so, how was your flight? I hope everything went well?”   
Jonah’s face turned from happy to a somewhat comical confused expression with his eyebrows raised high in the air. Sam quickly realised the silliness of her question, responding by saying,   
“Oh jeez, I forgot who I was talking to for a second, you hate flying!” The two laughed before Jonah grabbed hold of his very large and heavy looking suitcase with ease and he and Sam began to exit the airport terminal.   
“Hey, so I need to drop this off at my new place, then do you want to get a coffee or something?”   
“Yeah, I’d love that! Lara never wants coffee, the stubborn Brit she is! It’ll be nice to have someone who appreciates the finer things in life to spend time with around here,” Sam replied playfully. Unfortunately, she instantly regretted mentioning Lara when Jonah spoke next.   
“So, where is Lara anyway? I didn’t think she’d be going to any conferences or expeditions this soon,” Jonah asked innocently. Instead of the friendly response, he’d expected however, Jonah was met only with silence and an expression of sadness and regret from Sam.   
“Oh Sampiper, I’m sorry. Did you want to talk about it?” Jonah added quickly, with his old nickname for Sam and the tone of an apology audible in his voice.   
“I- yeah, I probably should. Over coffee though? I’d rather focus on our commute for now,” Sam said somewhat defeatedly.    
  
Sam wasn’t entirely ready to talk about the whole Lara situation with Jonah. She didn’t however, feel like continuing to skirt around the subject the whole day, so she’d open up. Still, Sam would much rather wait until Lara was back and talk it out with her, but Jonah was always soft and kind, and his spiritual perspective on life made him particularly good at giving useful advice. It was after all, mostly because of Jonah’s advice that Sam had begun thinking more about her and Lara’s relationship, and what she wanted from it in the future.   
  
So the two spent a mostly quiet cab ride to Jonah’s new place, and Jonah quickly ducked inside to drop off his belongings before returning to Sam, finally able to go out for the coffee they agreed upon. A short walk later, they arrived at a quaint local coffee shop and settled down with their individual choice of drinks. Just as before, it was Jonah who spoke first.   
“Lara’s gone away somewhere again, hasn’t she?”   
Sam sighed.   
“Yeah. She went away to go find Alex’s sister Kaz. Apparently, she’s in trouble and Lara left alone to go after her,” Sam explained. There was no point in hiding things from Jonah, he was going to find out anyway, so she’d answer his questions and hope he had something sagely to say, selfish as that was.   
“You want to be with her, out there, don’t you, Sam,” Jonah replied, prying the thoughts right out of Sam’s head. For a moment, Sam wondered how he always seemed to be able to do that, and if he had some kind of mystical telepathic powers or something, but then she thought back to the truth of Jonah’s statement.   
“I do. We used to do everything together, and now she keeps pushing me away. I know she’s just looking out for me and everything but I worry about her too, like, she could get hurt or killed out there and I’d have no idea, I can’t stand it,” she replied. Sam was being more open than she’d planned to be, but Jonah had a way of making people, particularly Sam, open up.   
“Sam, does she know how you feel?” Sam hadn’t expected Jonah to ask this, and it caught her off guard.   
“What? How I feel? I- what do you mean?” Sam was frantically thinking back to the last conversation her and Jonah had had on the rescue ship, and as her mind connected dots, she couldn’t understand why Jonah would expect anything that major would happen between her and Lara in the small amount of time they’d been back.   
“I mean what you just told me, Sam,” Jonah added. Sam cursed internally for panicking and coming to conclusions, but she did reply with a simple, “No.”   
“Tell her. It seems you’ve thought this over pretty thoroughly, and you won’t get anywhere if she doesn’t know what you’re going through,” said Jonah. It was a brilliantly simple answer, and Sam had already been preparing to speak to Lara about well, everything once she returned, but simply telling her the same raw thought process she’d just told Jonah somehow didn’t occur to her.   
  
  
Once Sam and Jonah parted, it was there that their conversation concluded. Sam was going to have to confront Lara, and somehow, despite knowing this and not being particularly happy about it, Sam left in a better mood than earlier. That was until she got back to their flat and Sam received a call from an unknown number she hadn’t expected.   
“Hello?” Asked Sam as she answered the call.   
“Hey Sam, it’s me,” a familiar voice replied.   
“ _ Lara! _ ” Sam’s mood shot through the roof, it was huge relief hearing her voice again, despite how angry she’d been at her friend the past couple of days.   
“I was just calling to let you know I’m on my way back, Kaz is with me. Sorry for the weird number, I kinda left my phone behind so we’re calling from a payphone right now,” Lara added.   
“Kaz is there? Is she alright? Promise you’ll tell me everything when you get back, okay sweetie?”   
“I will, Sam. I have to tell you something though,” continued Lara, “Kaz needed a place to go, and I offered to let her stay with us,” she finished.   
Sam was dumbfounded and stayed silent afterward. She only ended up replying with single words like “okay” and ended up quickly ending the conversation with a “See you soon!” before promptly hanging up. She wasn’t angry, but she sure was caught off guard. Almost enough that she barely remembered she had to erase all evidence of the strangely rummaged through parts of their flat before Lara returned. Sam sighed as she began to work on doing exactly that. Maybe confronting to Lara would have to wait, since their flat was about to become a whole lot more crowded. That, she wasn’t expecting, but, she and Lara would make it work, like they always did.


	6. Kaz

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Lara are reunited but have a new roommate- Kaz! Kaz gets to know Lara and Sam better and Kaz prompts Lara to think about her feelings for Sam.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya, so this chapter is a bit of a change of pace. Lara doesn't have anywhere to run off to so she and Sam will finally have some time to spend with each other. The next chapters planned will be more of this kind of thing as well, and maybe, if they're lucky, Lara and Sam will be able to figure some things out. ;)

It was only around quarter past Six in the evening when Sam heard the door to the flat open. There was no question who it was.   
Sam quickly rushed to the door and nearly knocked Lara over when she threw herself at her friend in a dramatic hug.   
“You’re back!” Sam said, still squeezing the life out of Lara.   
“Yeah Sam, I am,” replied Lara, somewhat shocked by Sam’s reaction to her arrival. Sam released her flatmate from the hug and quickly inspected her from head to toe. Lara was wearing strange, military looking gear, which was tattered and dirty. While confused at Lara’s change in apparel, Sam decided it was best to save asking about it for later, looking her friend in the eyes again.   
“Are you alright? What happened out there?” Sam asked. After she did, another brunette with shoulder-length hair poked her head out from behind Lara.    
“She saved me,” was what the brunette had to say. Lara cleared her throat.   
“Sam, this is Kaz,” said Lara.   
“And you’re Sam? I guess you’re Lara’s girlfriend, is that right?” Kaz asked as she squeezed her way past the other two women and into the entrance area of their flat.   
“Heh, yeah, you could say that,” Sam responded with a chuckle.   
“ _ Sam! _ ” Lara cried.   
Sam just grinned, meeting Lara’s gaze with a pleading look in her eyes.   
“I’m her roommate, and her best friend,” Sam said as she looked towards Kaz with a smile.   
“Lara may have mentioned you once or twice,” replied Kaz with a grin.   
  
Before Lara could say anything, Sam had made a break for her purse.   
“Hey, are you guys hungry? I’m gonna pick up some groceries from the store, need anything?”   
“Oh! If you pick me up some penne, sauce and veggies, I’ll totally cook you two supper! I figure since you’re letting me stay here I may as well be helpful, right?” Kaz responded enthusiastically.   
“Sure! That sounds great! Lara, why didn’t you tell me she could cook?” Sam said, making her way towards the door.   
“Uhh, I didn’t know?” Was all Lara could say. Kaz shot her a grin.   
“Well, just so you know, I’m totally cool with letting people stay here if they’re gonna cook for us!” Sam added with a laugh.   
“Okay, I’ll be back in probably a little over half an hour, see you!” And with that, Sam was out the door.   
  
  
Lara was somewhat dazed from Sam’s quick exit, still standing at the entrance of the flat. Kaz was leaning against their kitchen counter, looking around the flat that she was going to be living in for the foreseeable future.   
“So, how long have you two been roommates?” She asked, breaking the silence.   
“We met in Uni, a few years ago, we moved in together at the start of my second year,” replied Lara.   
“Best friends since you met too?” Kaz asked shooting Lara a grin. Lara smiled, and an almost dreamy sigh escaped her lips.   
“We each quickly became very important to one another for both different and similar reasons. We’ve been best friends, well, pretty much since we met, and we still are, as you can see,” Lara said, motioning towards the pictures of her and Sam on their fridge that Kaz had spotted. Kaz smirked.   
“And? Is there anything else?” asked Kaz as she struggled to hide her smirk.   
“Wha- What do you mean?” Lara asked, clueless to what Kaz wanted to know.   
“Anything you want to get off your chest? About you and Sam?” Clarified Kaz, her smirk grown into a mischievous smile. Lara grew flustered as she figured out what Kaz was implying, unsure of how she should respond to such a question.   
“Uh.. of-of course not! We’re just friends, Sam and I, like I said,” was what Lara awkwardly ended up stuttering out, and Kaz saw right through it.   
“Bullshit. That might work on straight people, but friends don’t share a flat for as long as you two seem to have and plaster this many pictures of each other together everywhere,” Kaz said, in a surprisingly matter-of-fact tone as she scanned all the pictures the two had on their fridge. Lara grew even more flustered as she realized that pointing out the pictures of her and Sam together had only given Kaz more reasons to push this awkward (for Lara, anyway) confrontation.   
“I’m serious, Kaz! I don’t know what you’re getting at here,” Lara said exasperatedly, her cheeks having become beet red with embarrassment in the process. Kaz beamed as she laughed.   
“You misunderstand me, I know you two are friends, but what I want to know, is what Sam means  _ to you _ Lara. I can tell by the way you talk about her that she’s more than just a friend to you,” Kaz concluded. Lara stood in silence, jaw dropped slightly at the conclusion Kaz had so quickly come to. Lara wondered whether the romantic tension between her and Sam was really so obvious, and all she could say in response was,   
“I- umm”   
“God, okay, maybe you really are that oblivious. Look, as you might remember, I was married, and I know how these things work. I won’t judge, and if I’m gonna be living with you two, then I don’t wanna mess up your relationship either,” Kaz said, her tone calmer, putting Lara at ease.   
The archeologist sighed, crouching down to take off her boots and tossing her bag on the floor.   
“I- I care about her. She’s… Everything to me, I don’t know what I’d do without her,” Lara admitted.   
“You’re in love with her,” Kaz pointed out. The thought overwhelmed Lara. She’d known for a long time but hadn’t really thought through her feelings in any coherent way. To hear Kaz point out the truth after Lara had known but not confronted it for so long was intimidating, to say the least.   
“Wow, it feels weird to hear it said out loud,” Lara said with a sigh.   
“I’m pretty sure she loves you back, Lara, the way she reacted when we got here is proof of that. She cares about you,” replied Kaz.   
“I- Thank you, for asking me about this, I’m sorry I got so defensive earlier,” Lara said defeatedly.   
“Hey, it’s not easy at first, but it looked like you needed to hear it, so, you’re welcome, I guess,” Kaz said in an attempt to lift her new roommate’s spirits.    
“I’m gonna get out of this uniform and wash up, feel free to look around the place, though Sam will probably kill you if you go in her room,” Lara said finishing by shooting Kaz a grin.   
“I’ll keep that in mind,” replied Kaz, “and Lara?”   
“Hmm?”   
“Thanks for taking me in, I don’t know what I would have done if you hadn’t shown up,” said Kaz with an appreciative smile on her face.   
“Don’t mention it, apparently I have a thing for saving damsels in distress, just ask Sam,” Lara said with a laugh.   
With that, she ducked into the washroom and left Kaz to look around their flat.   
  
  
Kaz had been absolutely spot-on with her previous observation. There were pictures  _ everywhere _ of Lara and Sam. She noted that in each of them, whenever the two were together, they looked happy. Sure, there were a few pictures of Lara making slightly annoyed or grumpy faces, probably kept by Sam to make fun of her with, but their happiness was a consistent theme in all the photos. What Kaz also noticed, was that the two had travelled to many different places around the world together, Bulgaria, China, Tanzania, just to name a few.   
“ _ The couple that travels together stays together, _ ” Kaz said to herself. One thing was clear, the pair had known each other for a long time and clearly adored each other.   
  
After Kaz had lost track of how long she’d been inspecting all the different pictures, she spotted a particular photo that piqued her curiosity. It was a selfie Sam had taken of her and Lara, but the two women looked much younger, it was probably taken shortly after the two had met. In particular though, what Kaz noticed is Sam’s choice of clothing and hairstyle. In the photo, Sam had an undercut on one side of her head and was wearing a plaid shirt over her t-shirt.   
“Jeez Lara, how clueless can you get?” Kaz asked rhetorically as she put together the pieces.    
  
  
It was then that Kaz jumped as she heard the front door close.    
“What did she do this time?” Sam asked as she entered the flat carrying multiple grocery bags.   
“Oh, it’s nothing,” replied Kaz, caught off guard by Sam’s return.   
“Well, whatever it is, you’re probably right, for how smart that girl is, she can be incredibly oblivious sometimes!” Said Sam with a grin and a chuckle.   
Sam put the groceries she was carrying onto the kitchen counter and began taking the individual items out of the bags.   
“Hey, I didn’t know what kind of vegetables you wanted so I just picked some myself, hopefully, they’ll work?”   
Kaz stood up and walked over to the kitchen to meet Sam, who was still unpacking the groceries.   
“Hmm, let’s see, onion, zucchini, celery, yeah, this will do great, thanks, Sam,” said Kaz.   
“Hey, you’re the one cooking dinner for Lara and I! Hey, speaking of which, where is Lara anyway?”   
“Oh, she’s washing up in the shower I think, she’s been in there for a little while now, I don’t know how long she usually takes but I’m willing to guess she’ll probably be out soon,” replied Kaz.   
“Uhh, this might be an odd question, but how long as she been in there?” Asked Sam, a look of concern growing on her face.   
“I’m not sure, I think she went in there a few minutes after you left, why?”   
“Leave that to me,” said Sam, and she quickly made her way to the bathroom door.   
  
Lara opened the door just as Sam arrived, and the two met awkwardly as a result. Lara was wet and naked beside the towel she had wrapped around herself, and Sam immediately saw the stitch marks on her bare shoulder.   
“You’re hurt. You only ever spend so long in there when you’re hurt,” said Sam in a calm voice, cautiously and slowly approaching her friend.   
“Let me see,” she said, reaching for the wound on Lara’s shoulder. Lara pulled back before Sam could touch it, however, and tried to brush her off, saying, “I’m fine, Sam.”   
“Lara, you clearly aren’t fine. You came back wearing what looked like some soldier’s uniform and now you have wounds you didn’t have before, so let me see,” said Sam, irritation building in her voice.   
“Okay, okay, can I at least put on some clothes first?”   
“Lara Croft, since when has that ever mattered? We shared a room on the Endurance, remember? Also no, you can’t put on some clothes first, because you’re just going to cover up any injuries I haven’t seen yet,” Sam replied flatly.   
Lara just looked at Kaz and made a vague gesture pointing towards her by tilting her head.   
“What? Oh my god, are you still embarrassed because she thought I was your girlfriend?” Sam said, adding in a much louder voice.   
“ _ Sam! _ No no, it’s not that, but you dragging me off in a state of undress won’t exactly help my case,” replied Lara with a playful grin having grown on her face.   
“Oh? Alright,” Sam said, then she yelled, “hey Kaz, my stubborn friend here is injured and I need to see what the damage is or else I won’t know if I need to drag her to the hospital tomorrow!”   
Lara became flustered from the embarrassment of being put on the spot before Kaz yelled back,   
“Alright, do what you gotta do!” and winked at Sam. Lara just became more flustered, but Sam persisted.   
“See? Now c’mon sweetie, let me take a look at you,” finished Sam. Lara sighed to herself, knowing she wouldn’t be able to win this battle and let Sam come with her into her room.   
  
  
Once Lara and Sam were in the privacy of Lara’s room, Lara sat on her bed and dropped the towel that was covering her, exposing herself, and all her injuries, to Sam.   
She was covered in gashes, scrapes, and bruises. It was clear she’d tried her best to clean and disinfect them while she’d been in the shower, but Lara was no doctor, and neither was Sam. The only properly treated wound was the stitched up one on her shoulder.   
“Oh sweetie,” Sam said tenderly, approaching Lara and softly caressing the skin around her injuries, tracing them with her fingers.   
Lara closed her eyes and took deep breaths. She’d forgotten how soothing Sam’s touch could be. It was Sam who nursed Lara back to health after the injuries she sustained on Yamatai. Yes, she’d been treated at a hospital after they had made it back, but it was Sam who stayed by her side the weeks following.   
Sam had also forgotten how much Lara had physically changed since their expedition. She had always been strong, growing up with Roth had that effect, but now she had become incredibly well toned. Right now though, all of Lara’s battle scars were visible to see, and Sam hadn’t seen Lara in this much detail since she’d been to the hospital after their expedition.   
All of it was pretty overwhelming, for both women. For Lara, being on display for Sam to see, her beauty and her scars, made her incredibly self-conscious, but it was Sam, and Sam was the only person she’d make an exception for.   
For Sam, seeing the physical evidence that Lara had been in danger, and gotten hurt while alone, made her heart hurt. She had to focus, so she started with the stitched wound on Lara’s upper body. Sam ran her fingers around it, feeling the grooves in Lara’s skin.   
“How did you get this one, who stitched it?” Sam asked softly.   
“Varvara, Kaz’s mother in law. She stitched me up after the assassin stabbed me,” answered Lara, opening her eyes to look at Sam’s fingers tracing the wound.   
“An assassin? Is that who Kaz was hiding from?” asked Sam as she moved her eyes to Lara’s face in an attempt to study what her friend was thinking. Lara sighed.   
“Kaz had attracted the attention of a bad group of people. A mercenary organization. They killed her wife, then they nearly killed us when I found her in Pripyat,” Lara answered somberly.   
“Sam, the less you know about them, the better,” added Lara, finally meeting Sam’s gaze. It was then she noticed a tear streaming down her best friend’s face. Lara tentatively reached forward and brushed the tear away, resting her fingers on Sam’s cheek.   
“Hey, It’s okay, I’m okay,” Lara said reassuringly. This, however, only upset Sam.    
“No, it’s not! And no you’re not! Look at you! You could have died and I’d have never known, you’d just be gone! It breaks my heart, did you know that? It breaks my heart that you run off without me and come back like this, we used to be a team,” cried Sam. She’d tried her best to keep herself together but now all her emotions, as well as her entire thought process from the past few days, was pouring out.   
  
Lara sat in silence. She knew Sam was right, but she also knew she wouldn’t be able to promise anything to her now that trouble had a way of finding her every other day. The situation confused Lara to no end because even with all her book-smarts, she had no idea what to do.   
It was then Sam brought Lara into a powerful hug. As awkward as being hugged by her fully clothed best friend was when Lara was naked and wet, she paid it no mind. Lara knew she’d hurt Sam and maybe was secretly a little thankful to be hugged right now, as she was getting a bit chilly.   
So Lara hugged back, and Sam continued holding on for dear life until the two were startled by a knock on the bedroom door.   
  
“Hey, the food is ready, come and get some before it gets cold!” Kaz shouted from the other side.   
Sam and Lara shared a look of confusion before Lara said,   
“I should probably get dressed.”   
“Yeah, you probably should,” agreed Sam.   
“I’m kind of regretting hugging you now, now my clothes are all damp, and it might be a little suspicious if I change before going back out there,” Sam added, eying the wet Lara-print left in her outfit.   
“You could grab a towel if that would help,” replied Lara. Sam just glared at her.   
“Ok, forget I said anything, that would be just as weird,” Lara added earning a smirk from Sam.    
  
Sam stood up, and walked towards the bedroom door, before looking back at Lara.   
“I’m taking you to the hospital tomorrow,” she said. Lara looked down at her injured body and nodded.   
“I suppose I’ve earned that, haven’t I?”   
“Unless you’d rather cauterize those wounds before they get infected, that is,” Sam said with a mischievous grin. Lara shuddered.   
“Yeah, I think I’d prefer to avoid having to do that again,” she replied.   
  
  
Sam then slipped out of the room and again found herself in the company of Kaz, who immediately spotted the damp print on Sam’s clothes and figured something was up.   
“That bad, huh?” Kaz asked, a worried look on her face.   
Sam chuckled as she sat down, but her expression quickly went blank as she thought of the answer to Kaz’ question.   
“She almost died,” Sam said in a hushed voice. Kaz’s mood was crushed as well when she was reminded of what happened.   
“Trinity took almost everyone I loved away from me. My wife, my brothers in law, stay away from them, Sam,” Kaz said in a serious tone as she sat opposite to Sam.   
“Trinity? Lara said they were a mercenary group, who exactly are they?” Sam asked.   
“They’re bad news, the less you know, the better. I ended up working for them after they found out about my particular... Technical expertise with surveillance equipment. When I found out more than they wanted me to know and I left because of that, they…”   
Kaz didn’t need to finish her sentence, both her and Sam knew what came next.   
“Oh, I’m sorry Kaz, I had no idea,” was all Sam could say. Kaz sighed.   
“It’s okay, it’ s in the past now. Just, look out for Lara. They know about her now, and I couldn’t live with myself if they ended up destroying the lives you two have here, so stay safe, and be careful,” Kaz said, concern showing through her voice. Sam looked down with a sorrowful expression.   
“Lara and I…” Sam said, sighing immediately afterwards.   
“We lost people too,” she continued.   
“Yamatai,” Kaz added. Sam looked up, slightly surprised. Then she immediately remembered that Kaz was Alex’s sister.   
“Oh my god, I’m sorry, I’m such a doofus, you lost your brother there!” Sam cried out as she put her face in her hands.   
“Sam…” Kaz said, softly.   
“Jeez, so much for first impressions,” Sam mumbled into her hands.   
“It’s not your fault, it wasn’t anyone’s fault,” Kaz added reassuringly. Sam sighed.   
“It’s Lara you need to tell that to,” responded Sam as she removed her face from her hands and let out a pained sigh.   
  
In the worst, or best (Sam couldn’t decide which) timing ever, Lara came out of her room. At the sight of Kaz and Sam sitting at the tiny dinner table, she chuckled.   
“Is there enough space for one more?” Lara asked. Sam got up to grab another chair. Lara approached the dining table and waited for Sam to return. She quickly noticed, however, that Sam and Kaz hadn’t started eating or even served themselves.   
“You didn’t have to wait for me you know, I didn’t want to make you wait,” Lara said.   
“It’s fine Lara, I was just getting to know our new flatmate,” Sam said as she placed a chair next to her own.   
“I might not have made the best first impression though,” she added with a sheepish look on her face.   
“Oh hush, Sam, you’re lovely. I’m not going to think less of you because of what you and Lara had to go through on-”   
“-Yamatai.” Lara interrupted. Kaz looked towards Lara, who looked haunted at the mention of the island.   
“Now I know why you didn’t start eating, it has a way of killing your appetite, doesn’t it?” Lara continued. All three women sat in silence for a minute, unsure of what to say. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Sam rose and moved toward the pot of pasta in the centre of the table. Kaz and Lara were somewhat shocked for a second, having drifted off into their own thoughts.   
“Well someone had to do something? C’mon, if Jonah was here, we’d probably have already finished eating by now,” Sam said in a judgemental tone eyeing her flatmates who were giving her strange looks.   
Lara sighed, and got up to serve herself as well, Kaz quickly followed suit.   
“So who’s Jonah?” Kaz asked as she poured sauce onto her pasta.   
“Oh! He’s the sweetest guy, pretty much the definition of a gentle giant. He’s a chef too! Lara and I have known him for a while, he was with us on The Endurance,” Sam said but winced when she realized she mentioned the doomed vessel’s name.   
“He’s like the brother I never had, he always calls me his ‘little bird’. We wouldn’t be here without him,” Lara added, reminiscing with a smile on her face.   
“Oh! I totally forgot! He just got into London yesterday! We should totally meet up with him soon, if you’re up for it,” Sam added, directing her question at Kaz. Kaz paused for a second, but then responded with,   
“I’d love that. I literally don’t know anyone here except you two, so I’d be happy to come along.”   
  
As the three ate then settled down for the evening, Sam decided to learn more about Kaz’s experience with surveillance equipment. Kaz explained how she learned how to hyper-effectively monitor recordings and search the footage for specific events, and Sam geeked out nearly endlessly when the two reached the topic of actual cameras. Lara listened happily, captivated by the animatedness of Sam’s interest in the subject. She pondered the extent of her feelings toward her best friend. When she went to bed that evening, her mind raced with thoughts of Sam, their conversations the past few weeks, the urgency she felt when she was in danger, and the mutual adoration the two felt for one another, despite how different their personalities and interests were to one another.   
How Lara was going to deal with these feelings was a mystery to her, but Lara loved mysteries, and this was a mystery she was dedicated to solving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Final note, idk when the next chapters will come. Issue one of Inferno is releasing on Wednesday the 13th and I'm pretty worried it's going to kill my drive to write more of this. Let's hope CD don't mess the narrative up any more too badly, I'm already bummed enough as it is that Sam won't be in Shadow. So yeah! #SaveourSam


	7. Hospital, Breakfast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fluff in the most literal sense.

Lara woke early in the morning to the smell of cooking and the sound of Sam and Kaz conversing. As she got out of bed and got dressed for the day, she stood next to her door and listened to the conversation her two flatmates were having.  
“I swear, you’re really going to have to show me how you search through video footage like you mentioned yesterday! You have no idea how much time that would save me while editing!” Sam said.  
“I mean, I don’t know how well my method would work with the type of footage you deal with. I use a program I wrote that detects changes in a scene, but it’s designed to work with footage that has a static or mostly unchanging background, you know, like security footage,” Kaz replied. Lara slowly opened her door and snuck out of her room, not wanting to disrupt the conversation.  
“Well, even if it doesn’t work for most of the stuff I deal with, I can think of a few uses for what you’re describing, time-lapses come to mind,” Sam said, trailing off into her own thoughts excitedly.

Lara took the pause as an opportunity to make her entrance, striding into the kitchen to the sight of Sam tending to a frying pan and Kaz washing a mixing bowl in the sink.  
“Good morning! You’re up early Sam,” Lara said whilst trying to look over Sam’s shoulder.  
“Lara! You got up just in time! Kaz and I made pancakes!” Sam said happily.  
“Since when do you make pancakes, Sam?” Said Lara, as she spotted the golden brown object Sam was tending to in the frying pan.  
“Well, Kaz did most of the work, but she showed me how it’s done. Maybe in the future, I’ll be able to surprise you!” Sam said, grinning widely with pride. Sensing the pancake was finished, Sam moved it from the frying pan to a plate which contained a large stack of pancakes. It was a sight one would expect to see in a Saturday morning cartoon, with enough pancakes stacked for there to be a risk of the tower collapsing. The only thing it was missing was a fountain of maple syrup and a mound of butter on top.  
Sam placed the plate in the middle of the dining table as Kaz began to place plates, forks, and knives.  
Lara finally replied to Sam’s earlier statement, saying, “with you Sam, every day is a surprise.”   
Sam grinned at Kaz,  
“Success! I’ve still got it!” Sam said, immediately following her victory statement with a celebratory dance. The sight made Lara laugh.

In the moment Lara and Sam felt like things were finally back to the way things were, before their crazy expedition, and before everything that happened afterward. The thought ended too soon, however, but the women took solace that they were still together, and laughing about nothing and everything like they always did.  
As Lara sat at the table, Sam placed a steaming mug of tea in front of her, much to Lara’s surprise.  
“Okay, what’s the occasion, Sam? Cooking, making me tea, don’t tell me Kaz put you up to this,” Lara asked.  
“What? I’m just trying to be a good best friend,” retorted Sam, grinning widely at Lara.  
“She’s sucking up to you because she’s dragging you to the hospital later,” Kaz interjected.  
“Traitor!” Sam cried, playfully shoving Kaz. Lara smiled.  
“You don’t have to butter me up to bring me to the hospital, Sam, I already agreed to go,” Lara added.  
“Oh, it’s not that. It’s just that you’re probably going to have to get more stitches, and once you do, it’ll be my job you don’t run off and do something daft to mess up the healing process, and I know you’re gonna hate me for that,” replied Sam. Lara knew she was right, and she didn’t have a retort for the statement either.  
At Lara’s silence, Sam elbowed Kaz, saying,  
“See? She’s not saying anything, that means I’m right!”  
Kaz smirked in response. Lara sighed, giving Sam a sly smile, and went to grab a few pancakes for herself.

What Lara hadn’t realized, however, was that these were American pancakes. Thick and fluffy, very different from the thin English ones she was used to.  
“Uhh, guys, how am I supposed to eat these huge things? The pancakes you made weigh a ton!” Lara commented, confused by the foreign food. Sam smirked, while Kaz frowned slightly.  
“This is how I’ve always made them, Lucya used to love when I’d cook them for her. What did you expect?” Kaz asked in a slightly frustrated tone.  
“Well, when I think of pancakes, I think of nice, thin, soft foldable sheets. Well, like these, but thinner. Then we top them with sweet syrups and fruits,” explained Lara, poking the pancake on her plate with her fork.  
“Lara, those are crêpes,” stated Sam, hiding a smile.  
“No, they’re not! People put weird stuff like cheese and stuff on crêpes and eat them with omelettes and things! Pancakes are pleasant and sweet!” Said Lara more defensively than she expected.  
“Well sweetie, these are American pancakes,” Sam said with a laugh, adding, “and you’d better get used to them if you’re gonna keep living with me! Here, I’ll show you how to eat them.”  
Sam then got up and poured what Lara would have called a small lake of maple syrup on Lara’s pancake, and placed a large cube of butter in the middle of it.  
“There! Tasty and sweet just like you wanted,” proclaimed Sam, clearly proud of her handiwork. Sam and Kaz then tuned out Lara to focus on their own plates, leaving Lara with a food item she was still confused about sitting in front of her.  
Lara tried to pick the pancake up with her fork and knife, but it was heavy and slipped away. To Lara, she expected a pancake to be light enough that she could pick the whole thing up and take bites of it like she would a sandwich, but clearly, that wasn’t going to happen. She then looked over at Kaz and Sam and felt stupid when she realized they were simply cutting pieces out of the pancakes to eat.  
As Lara took her first bite, Sam wasted no time in surprising Lara, asking,  
“So, how is it?” Lara pondered the question as she chewed. The pancake was moist and very fluffy, it shared more in common with a biscuit than what Lara considered pancakes. Not wanting to let her excited friend down, however, Lara smiled, saying,  
“It’s nice, thanks.”  
“Only ‘nice’?” Sam asked, adding, “well, you haven’t gotten to the buttery part yet!”  
Lara looked down at her plate again. Most of the syrup had gotten absorbed by the pancake, and the rest was pooling around the outside of it. In the middle of it, however, the mound of butter had melted into its own puddle. Lara bit closer to the centre, and sipped her tea to wash it down.  
“Wow, it actually goes really well with my tea,” Lara said, surprised by how much she was starting to enjoy the meal. Kaz and Sam looked at each other, then dissolved into giggles.  
“You know, I knew you were English when I met you Lara, but I don’t think that could have prepared me for how much of a damn Brit you are!” Kaz exclaimed.  
“I know right? She’s adorable, that’s why I love her,” added Sam, still giggling from earlier.  
The three last words Sam said flustered Lara endlessly. It was totally normal for Sam to talk about the various reasons she loved Lara, she had done so since they met, but in light of recent events, Lara was ambushed by the statement. In response, she hid her face in her hands, saying,  
“One of these days, you’re going to be the death of me Sam.”  
Sam shoved Lara playfully, she ignored Lara’s discomfort as always and simply urged her friend to finish eating her breakfast.

After they finished eating, Sam wasted no time in making Lara finish getting ready and ushered her out the door. What Lara was surprised to find out, was that instead of them taking a taxi, Sam opted that they take public transit.  
“Giving up the life of luxury, Sam?” Lara teased.  
“Ugh, don’t remind me. My father decreased the limit on my card after the expedition and after he found out I paid for your plane fares to go help Jonah. So I’ve had to make sacrifices here and there to account for it,” explained Sam.  
“Oh, I’m sorry Sam. That’s totally my fault, will you be okay? Do you have enough money for everything?” Asked Lara, Sam sighed.  
“Yeah, I should be fine as long as nothing crazy happens right away,” Sam replied. The thought didn’t inspire much confidence in Lara.  
“I guess I do need to get a new job. You probably noticed the Nine Bells let me off after I kept taking time off and giving my coworkers my shifts. Once I do get a job, Sam, I’ll put some money aside, I wanna make sure we’ll be okay if anything does happen again,” Lara said reassuringly.  
“Lara, it’ll be fine, you don’t need to do all that for me. You don’t need to keep saving me all the time you know?” Sam said, concerned she’d become a burden to Lara. Lara grasped Sam’s hand as Sam often did to her, saying,  
“Sam, don’t feel so sorry, you know I’d do anything for you.”  
“Be careful what you say, Croft,” Sam said with a coy smile, “I just might take you up on that.” Lara’s eyes widened, and much to the archaeologist's chagrin, her friend didn’t explain herself. The rest of the trip Lara spent stressing about how she really needed to get a new job, and trying to figure out exactly what Sam was up to lately. Sam had been very affectionate and playful since Lara returned, more so than she usually was, and this puzzled Lara. She would have expected Sam to be more reserved and more upset given how upset she was when Lara had left, but instead, Sam was happy, she was checking up on Lara all the time to make sure she was alright and had cooked breakfast earlier to top it off. What especially confused Lara, is how Sam had confessed how upset Lara leaving her behind made her, and how upset she was during said confession, but now to Lara, it felt almost as if nothing had happened between them.

What Lara didn’t know, was that Sam had a plan she’d not shared with Lara. While Sam’s concern for Lara’s wellbeing and her good intentions in cooking her breakfast were genuine. Sam hoped to prove herself useful to Lara, and while Lara wasn’t gallivanting off on another crazy and dangerous adventure, Sam was going to do that by being the best friend she could be. As a result, Sam hoped that the next time Lara did need to travel away on another one of her excursions, Sam would have proved useful enough that Lara would bring her along like she always used to.

 

When the two women arrived at the hospital, Sam wasted no time in going to reception and telling them exactly why they were there and detailed an abridged version of what she believed Lara’s injuries were. When the two went to sit in the waiting room, Lara said she could have done the talking, but Sam dismissed her.  
When they sat in the waiting room, the only two chairs next to one another were sandwiched between other people, meaning Sam and Lara didn’t have the privacy to properly converse. As a result, Sam leant back in the chair, gazing up at the false ceiling, and Lara slouched forward slightly, examining the floor.  
Shortly after however, Lara felt herself watching Sam. She became especially entranced when she remembered she hadn’t properly looked at Sam for a week at least. What Lara observed at first was that Sam looked like she hadn’t been resting as well. There were subtle bags hidden under the makeup Sam had expertly done, but aside from that subtle detail, she was the same Sam Lara had known for so long. The same Sam Lara had now come to accept she’d fallen in love with. She still had the same beautiful face, the same almost-black hair, and the same gorgeous eyes that Lara now couldn’t stop looking into.  
It wasn’t long until Sam noticed, meeting Lara’s gaze, and asking in a hushed voice if something was up.  
Lara looked away, saying she was “just thinking”. It wasn’t a lie, and it was a Lara enough thing to say that Sam simply moved on.

Sooner than the two had expected, a nurse entered the waiting room, saying, “Lara Croft?”  
Lara quickly got up, and when she did, she felt eyes in the room look towards her. Having her name announced in a public setting wasn’t something Lara was used to, and after the media had gotten wind of her expedition, people recognized her name. It was a foreign feeling, a hostile one. Lara tensed up as she pictured the people in the waiting room being crazed Solarii or Solarii worshippers, or Trinity agents waiting to put a bullet in her head. She had become so immersed in the nightmare that it shocked her when the nurse spoke again.  
“Oh, it’s just Lara we’re seeing right now, you can wait here until she gets back,” the nurse explained, looking at Sam. Sam was standing by Lara’s side, and Lara hadn’t even realized it. In a moment of panic, Lara grabbed Sam’s arm, saying,  
“No, it’s okay, I’d like her to be with me.”  
The nurse simply looked at her and Sam, then smiled.  
“Alright, we just needed to know it was okay with you,” explained the nurse, before leading them to a small examination room. When they entered the room, the nurse simply told them the doctor would be with them soon and closed the door behind her.  
It was quiet other than the soft sounds of the building and the subtle noise of doctors, nurses, and their patients occasionally walking through the hall outside.  
Sensing something was wrong, Sam spoke up.  
“Is something wrong sweetie? You tensed up when we were out there,” Sam asked, putting her hand on Lara’s.  
“Yeah,” Lara said while exhaling, “everyone looked at me when the nurse called my name, it... It felt like I was back on the island.”  
“Oh sweetie,” Sam said, squeezing Lara’s hand, “It’ll get better, and I’ll be here if you need me, always.”  
Hearing those words did relieve Lara. It also confused her slightly.  
“You know you didn’t have to come in here, they’ll probably describe all my nasty injuries, and you don’t have to hear that,” Lara said, voicing her concern.  
“I’m prepared for that. I want to be here, to make sure you’re okay,” Sam said, a loving smile on her face.

 

It was during this exchange that the doctor entered the room, causing the two women to jump and pull away from one another. The doctor failed to notice them, however, as he was giving his undivided attention to the medical chart he held.  
“So, you’re Lara Croft?” What brings you in today?”  
“She needs new stitches and has a number of bruises and cuts that need to be checked on,” Sam explained.  
The doctor looked at Sam with a slightly confused expression, then looked back at his chart before asking,  
“Are you Lara’s wife? I’m sorry, the chart doesn’t mention you.”  
The assumption made both women flustered, and Lara was quick to explain saying,  
“She’s… a friend, she came with me to make sure I was okay.”  
“I’m Sam, and yeah, Lara probably wouldn’t even have come here if I hadn’t dragged her out,” Sam explained playfully.  
“Sam!”  
“Well Miss Croft, you’re lucky to have such a supporting partner,” the doctor said with a smile, adding, “now where were we,” as he fished out a hospital gown. He then handed it to Lara, saying, “could you change into this? I’ll need to be able to see the injuries you mentioned,” he explained, stopping at the door to the room.  
“Just knock on the door when you’re ready, and we’ll be all done in no time.”  
With that, the doctor left the room leaving Sam and Lara alone, with no intention of giving Lara privacy from Sam.  
“A supporting partner…” Lara muttered at the thought of their dialogue. Sam chuckled at that, saying,  
“Well, this is the second day in a row this ‘supporting partner’ of yours is gonna get to see you strip naked.”  
“SAM!” Lara cried, she hid her face in her hands briefly but began to get changed anyway.  
“What? I’m not saying I mind! Not at all, in fact…” Retorted Sam much to Lara’s dismay. Lara sighed loudly and continued to change whilst trying to ignore the implications of Sam’s words, whether they were serious or not. When Lara finished changing, she confronted Sam, saying,  
“I swear to god if you keep putting me on the spot I’m going to-”  
“-Ooh do what Lara?” Sam interrupted with a laugh, “c’mon, you just walked right into that one!”  
Lara sighed and rolled her eyes, and knocked on the room door, hoping to get this particular excursion over with sooner rather than later.

 

It was nearly an hour before the hospital visit was over. Lara needed several stitches, and she was given an x-ray as she ended up having a few fractured bones, nothing serious enough to be given casts, but enough that Lara would have to put any of her potential plans for crazy expeditions on hold.  
“Three weeks!” Sam cried triumphantly, laughing before she continued speaking, “you’re totally stuck with me until then!” She said, poking Lara playfully. Lara sighed.  
“Yeah, the only reason Trinity didn’t kill me in Chernobyl is because they weren’t as intractable as you.”  
“Oh come on, we’ll have fun, we’ve barely got to spend any real time together since the expedition anyway, and I’ve missed you,” Sam said, squeezing Lara’s arm. Lara got butterflies and sighed happily. Right then, everything felt right for the two of them.  
“Well, you are always trying to get me to take breaks, so I guess you got your wish,” Lara added and ruffled Sam’s hair.  
“Ooh,” Sam excitedly started, “I can get Kaz to teach me to cook more things, and I can practice making pancakes some more! She made the batter today, but I’m totally going to make it next time,” finished Sam.  
“I still don’t understand how you can call those saucer-biscuits ‘pancakes’, Sam.”  
“Oh shut up, Sam replied, “you enjoyed them.”  
Lara did, and in response to that being pointed out, simply said,  
“No comment.” Sam shoved Lara playfully, and the two laughed with each other.

Later, when Sam and Lara were back at their flat, Kaz, Lara, and Sam relaxed on the couch and watched something on Lara’s laptop. Since the couch was a bit small for three, Sam and Lara got to cuddle under the guise of giving Kaz more space. That evening had been the first real time since their expedition that Sam and Lara got to properly spend time with each other. The first time they weren't distracted by crazy things happening to or around them, and the first time they got to focus on themselves and each other. When the evening ended and Kaz, Lara, and Sam went to bed, instead of thinking back to times gone, Lara and Sam were finally looking forward to the next day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoops, I finished a chapter in less than a week. Can't promise I'll be able to keep this up but I do have the next chapter planned, so things are looking good. :)  
> Anyway, I hope you liked this fluff, if you're curious as to what comes next, go reread the last chapter and re-read the Secrets and Lies arc of comics. There are some pretty good indications of what's coming next there. ;)


	8. Sampiper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Kaz and Jonah point out what everyone has been thinking all along.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, here's a new chapter to this fic. I've been stuck on this one for a while, but I managed to get it finished this week.
> 
> Good news is I have the next chapter planned and have already started writing it, the part of this story that continues to the end of the second arc of the comics is also planned out, so hopefully I'll have a conclusion to this part for you guys soon. :)

The past two days had been more or less uneventful for the three flatmates. Lara had spent her time writing resumes and cover letters then handing them out to various potential employers. Sam worked on her various class projects and Kaz was looking into ways she could find legitimate work doing tech support for security systems.

Today, however, was a day that was sure to be interesting. Sam had arranged the three to meet Jonah at a coffee shop near his place. It was in fact, the same cafe she and Jonah had gone to after he arrived in London, and Sam was prepared to make this coffee date a fabulous one.

So despite having to fight Kaz for the kitchen to cook breakfast again, and despite Lara continuing to insist something was up with her, Sam managed to get herself and her flatmates out the door perfectly in time to make it out to meet Jonah.

When they made it, Jonah was as happy as ever and wasted no time in greeting his friends.  
“Little Bird! Sampiper! It’s great to see you both!” Said Jonah as he gave both Lara, then Sam, powerful hugs.  
“Do I get a nickname too?” Greeted Kaz with a smile.  
“Oh, you must be Kaz, right? It’s great to finally meet you!” Said Jonah in reply.  
“Give him time for a nickname, before you know it he’ll come up with another bird to name you after as well!” Teased Sam.  
“They’re not ‘just’ birds Sam, all the names I give each have a special meaning,” explained Jonah.  
“You keep saying that, yet you never tell us what those meanings are, so to us they’re just bird names,” said Sam as she playfully shoved Jonah.  
“Well, the meanings wouldn’t be special if I told them to everybody!” Jonah replied with a chuckle.  
“Alright you guys, I got us a table, we should sit and stop taking up space here in the entrance,” added Jonah, leading the group to a table in the back.  
When the four went to get their drinks, Lara was pleased to find out that the cafe served a selection of teas, though she was content with the stereotypical Earl Gray with no milk or sugar Sam teased her about. Sam, Jonah, and Kaz all got different coffees to drink.

The four then settled at their table, with Sam and Lara sitting across from Jonah and Kaz.  
“So, Kaz, your brother told me a lot about you!” Jonah announced.  
“He did?” Asked Kaz, a look of curiosity growing on her face.  
“Of course! Alex was heaps of fun, and whenever I got a few drinks in him, he’d always mention how proud he was of you. From what he told me, you’re a pretty smart woman!” Continued Jonah.  
“Did he tell you how I’d have to force him to do his homework in school?” Asked Kaz with a sly grin showing on her face. Jonah laughed, as did Lara and Sam.  
“No, he didn’t mention that, but that sounds like Alex all right!” replied Jonah. Kaz sighed.  
“Alex never knew what he wanted to do with his life, I had to help him just so he could get through school. I miss him, I wish he’d have gotten to figure out his goals before he was gone.”  
A silence stretched between the four, and Lara felt a pang of guilt as it did.  
“He was gone too soon, I’m sorry he couldn’t be here with us,” Lara said, breaking the silence. Sam slid a hand onto Lara’s back, rubbing it softly.  
“Too soon indeed,” added Jonah, “to Alex!” He said, raising his cup into the air.  
“To Alex,” Kaz said in reply. The four clinked their cups together and each took long sips as they did. After that, they shared a moment of silence together for Alex Weiss.

After close to a minute, the four started sipping their drinks again and Lara broke the silence.  
“So Jonah, what have you been up to since you got to London? You managed to move here pretty fast,” Lara asked.  
“Ah, I always keep some money tucked away so I rented a place nearby, I was able to move right in when I got here. As for what I’ve been doing, well, when you cook for a living, you can work just about anywhere,” Jonah replied, finishing with a smile.  
“So what kind of food do you specialize in, Jonah? Personally, I love Italian food, especially pasta, there’s so much you can do with a sauce to mix things up!” Added Kaz.  
“Here we go…” Muttered Sam to Lara.  
“Sauces are my favourite! I can learn to make any sauce! I guess what I specialize in though is seafood. Growing up on Hawaii, serving in the New Zealand Army, and spending a bunch of time on ships-” Jonah eyed Lara and Sam, “-added up. When you work with the same ingredients for so long, you have to learn different ways of preparing them,” Jonah finished with a smile. His explanation caused Sam to think back to when Jonah tried teaching Dr. Whitman how to gut a fish while they were on The Endurance. Despite how frustrating Whitman had been to work with, Sam chuckled at the thought.

“Say, it’s a random question, Kaz, you don’t happen to have any experience in theatre do you?” asked Jonah. Kaz made a confused face, and Sam and Lara met each other’s gaze and shared a smile amongst themselves.  
“Uhh, unless you count me fumbling all my lines in a school play when I was little, that would be a no, why?” Replied Kaz.  
“Jonah’s totally closeted, he’s the biggest theatre geek I know,” interrupted Sam. She quickly hid her mischievous grin by sipping on her coffee, and Lara was barely able to hold back her own laughter.  
“One of those things is true! Anyway, I’m planning on doing a production of Pride and Prejudice-” Jonah was interrupted by Sam.  
“You’re kidding! No way!” Sam exclaimed.  
“-and I was wondering if any of you could think of people who’d be interested in joining the cast or crew. I’m well acquainted of meetup groups and forums online for this stuff, but I’d rather not start from nothing, you know?” Concluded Jonah.  
“Say no more, I know some of the girls in my acting class would love to join up!” Replied Sam. Her and Jonah shared a smile, and Jonah was visibly brimming with excitement.

“You’re in an acting class? Wait, you’re taking multiple classes, I thought you already graduated?” Asked Kaz.  
“I am, but I’ve been taking some classes to keep myself busy and bolster some of my skills,” Sam explained.  
“But can’t you just find work instead? You’re certainly qualified,” continued Kaz.  
“Well, I want to be a documentary filmmaker, and the only consistent gig I could feasibly try to get here in England would be with the BBC. Thing is, their documentary crews travel around a lot and are also only looking for people with years of work experience. I’m on a student visa, so getting a job that has me constantly out of the country wouldn’t be the best way to transition to a work visa, and I don’t really wanna leave Lara behind either,” explained Sam.  
Kaz pondered this for a while. Jonah and Lara were well aware of Sam’s situation already, but Kaz was intrigued, her curiosity had been piqued.  
“Hmm, Lara is a citizen though, can’t she do anything to help?”  
Lara subtly grasped Sam’s hand and intertwined their fingers. She motioned to Sam to continue speaking.  
“Well, that’s kinda what the Expedition was about, sort of,” announced Sam. Jonah and Kaz listened intently, and Lara held Sam’s hand while giving Sam her full attention.  
“The plan was I’d make a total smash hit documentary about the whole thing. When it was super successful, Lara and I were going to split the money and we’d start up a business under Lara’s name. Then she’d be able to sponsor me for a work visa, and we’d be able to fund us as an awesome archeologist-filmmaker duo!” concluded Sam. Lara was smiling, but after Sam finished explaining, she sighed.  
“Obviously, we didn’t quite get that far. Yamatai was supposed to change everything. I guess it did, just not in a way that anyone expected,” added Lara. Sam, Lara, and Jonah shared a sorrowful expression, but Kaz just looked confused.  
“I don’t get it. Lara, it would be way easier to just sponsor her as your partner. I mean, Lucya and I went through that process and from what I’ve heard, it’s way easier than getting citizenship any other way,” stated Kaz very seriously.  
Lara and Sam just looked at each other, blushed slightly, then burst into a fit of giggles.  
“I’m serious!” Kaz interjected.  
The two continued giggling until Lara managed a reply.  
“See, I think we’d actually have to be together for that to work, Kaz,” Lara replied with a grin. Sam’s giggling slowed and she smiled at Lara.  
“Oh come on, I’m not kidding, you two have been friends for what, four, almost five years? Not to mention you’ve been living and travelling together for almost as long, just show proof of that and your application will go through just fine,” explained Kaz.  
“I’m not the biggest fan of lying to the government,” said Lara.  
“But you’re fine with smuggling a bunch of weapons into the country? Like the ones you brought here from Chernobyl?” Kaz said smugly. Lara’s eyes lit up like saucers.  
“Bloody hell! Keep your voice down, will you?” Lara exclaimed as quietly as she could. Kaz just smirked.  
“She’s right, besides, everyone already thinks you two are a couple anyway,” said Jonah, re-entering the conversation.  
“ _Jonah!_ ” Sam and Lara said in unison. The two shared a coy smile and blushed deep shades of red.  
“Aww! Look, they’re so cute together!” Kaz exclaimed.  
“Completely,” Jonah agreed.  
Lara and Sam continued to blush, and attempted to hide behind their drinks, to no avail.  
“Now kiss!” Kaz added with a laugh.  
“Oh my god…” Lara exclaimed.  
“Kaz, I’d tell you to sleep on the couch, but you already are, I swear…” added Sam.

When Lara and Sam revealed themselves from behind their cups, Jonah and Kaz were beaming. The two women shared a long sigh before Lara spoke once more.  
“Honestly, it’s not a bad idea,” Lara said. Jonah and Kaz looked like they were going to scream, and Sam looked positively flabbergasted at Lara’s statement, so Lara continued.  
“But I don’t have a job right now, and I’d rather wait until we’re sure we don’t have any crazy cultists or mercenaries trying to kill us or kidnap us before I’d commit to such a process,” she explained.

Sam was visibly relieved but conflicted. She loved the implications of her and Lara legally being recognized as a couple but wondered what Lara thought of the matter. She was also a bit uncomfortable with the idea of lying about their relationship, especially since Sam hoped she and Lara would actually become girlfriends at some point. It was a complex situation, and like Lara, Sam was happy taking as much extra time as she needed to figure out their next move.

In the end, Jonah and Kaz agreed to stop teasing Sam and Lara, and the group finished their drinks while Kaz and Jonah mutually agreed they would have to have a cookout together at some point in the future. The three said their goodbyes and headed out.

On the tube, Sam struck up a conversation with Kaz.  
“I think Jonah just made his second gay best friend,” Sam said with a smile. Lara gave Sam a look.  
“Jonah’s hilarious, I can see why you guys get along,” said Kaz.  
“I knew you’d love him! He’s going to be thrilled to have someone to talk about cooking with,” added Sam.  
“Definitely looking forward to that, and thanks, you two, you’ve been great to me,” Kaz replied.  
“Like I said, damsels in distress…” Lara joked. This time, Sam gave her a look.  
“What, like me saving you from getting an infection every time you get beat up on your missions?” Sam replied, goading Lara. Lara just became embarrassed.  
“Goodness, never leave each other, I bet either of you would go crazy without the other,” Kaz said with a laugh.  
Sam and Lara were taken aback. Kaz seemed to read the two of them perfectly. The two shared a look which communicated agreement, and both independently resolved to keep the conversations the rest of their commute home limited to small talk. Kaz’s intuition intimidated the pair, and both Lara and Sam were afraid Kaz knew more about them and their relationship than either of them.

In the end, the three arrived at the flat and didn’t talk much for the rest of the day, each absorbed in their own activities. Lara and Sam both figured, with Kaz around, they’d likely end up figuring their relationship with each other out, sooner than they ever expected.


	9. Makeover!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam brings Kaz out for a makeover while Lara is starting her new job.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, here's a new chapter. I've actually had this and a few others pretty much done for a couple weeks but I've been holding off on posting them so I could post a bunch within a short time frame.
> 
> Anyway, there should be like, 3 more on the way within the next week, so buckle up! Things are ramping up. :)
> 
> PS: Comments motivate me more than anything, please don't hesitate to let me know what you think!

Lara had found a new job. She was recruited as part of the curating team at the British Museum. Her tasks mostly included cataloguing new items and keeping track of the existing inventory. It wasn’t an archaeological dig, and it wasn’t anything as exciting as finding the lost kingdom of Yamatai, but Lara was happy to have found a job that at least suited her educational background.

Lara’s new job, however, meant Sam and Kaz were going to end up with a lot of free time when Lara wasn’t around. Tonight, on Lara’s first shift, Sam, once again, a master of planning, had the perfect idea of what to do with that free time.

“So Kaz, guess what we’re going to do today?” Sam asked Kaz.  
“I don’t know, are you guys finally going to get a new TV?” Kaz guessed.  
“No silly! Though we ought to do that soon. Nah, you and I are going out, and you’re getting a makeover!” Exclaimed Sam excitedly. Kaz was taken aback.  
“Sam, not that I don’t appreciate the gesture, but why do you want to me to get a makeover?” She inquired.  
“Look, no offence, but you kinda look like a wild girl, you really need a haircut. And, think about it, Trinity will be looking for the 'you' they saw in Chernobyl and the 'you' that’s standing before me! It’s time for a ‘new you’ Kaz, C'mon, it’ll be fun!” Explained Sam. Kaz was unsure of what to expect. From what she observed, Sam put a lot of care into her looks, so Kaz figured at least that she was in good hands.  
“Alright, I’m game,” she answered after some thought.  
“Awesome! I know exactly where to bring you, this is gonna be great!” Answered Sam, brimming with excitement. Kaz chuckled at the sight.  
“Well, I figure you’re the person I’d go to for this kinda thing, heh, can you imagine Lara trying to bring me out for a makeover?” Kaz asked with a smile.  
“If she’d ever do that in the first place! Hell, if she did, she’d probably just deck you out in combat boots and khakis!” Replied Sam with a laugh.

With that, the two headed out to Sam’s favourite salon. It was a fast trip there, and when the two arrived, Kaz was surprised to find out that Sam had already booked them in advance.  
“Hi, Natalie!” Sam greeted her hairdresser.  
“Sam! It’s great to have you back! What can I do for you two ladies today?” Natalie greeted in return.  
“Not much for me, just some touch ups, my friend Kaz here is the real reason I came. She was telling me she wants to totally reinvent her look,” replied Sam excitedly.  
Kaz wasn’t totally sure how she felt about Sam claiming the change in hairstyle was her own idea, but she decided to go with it, so she came up with a story that she thought fit the situation.  
“Yeah, some totally life-changing stuff happened to me recently, and like, I feel like this look just doesn’t suit me anymore, you know?” Kaz added, her story was actually pretty true to life, though she was far more comfortable presenting it in a way that left out the more gruesome details.  
“Well, you came to the right place! Did you have anything in particular in mind?” Natalie asked.  
“Nothing specific, I just want to look... Different,” replied Kaz. As Kaz mentioned this, Sam picked up a large book of hairstyles and handed it to Kaz.  
“Take a look through there!” Said Sam happily, motioning to the book.  
Kaz took a seat and flipped open the book. In the page she opened, there were pictures of a number of short haircuts. A lot of the haircuts in the book looked boyish, some bordering on what could be described as military, then Kaz flipped through a few more pages and found a page full of pictures of girls showing off various pixie cuts. Kaz had never had a pixie cut, but the more she thought about it, the more she grew to like the idea.  
Sam peeked at the page she was reading, and her face lit up as she did.  
“Oooh! You’d look so awesome with your hair like that! What do you think?” Asked Sam. Kaz grinned.  
“I think I just figured out how I want my hair cut,” Kaz replied. Sam beamed with excitement.  
“Oh man, this is going to be great! Hey Natalie, what do you think?” Sam asked her hair stylist. Natalie took a look at the book and nodded when she saw the picture Kaz had been eyeing.  
“Yeah, we can make that work. Hmm… how would you feel about bleaching your hair? I think that cut would look really good in blonde,” Natalie asked. Kaz looked at Sam, who grinned in response.  
“Let’s do it,” Kaz replied.

The two spent a few hours at the salon while Kaz had her hair bleached. The cut itself didn’t take long, but bleaching Kaz’s hair blonde certainly did. Fortunately, Kaz’s hair wasn’t particularly dark, so the process wasn’t too bad. In the end, Kaz ended up with a hairstyle she was quite happy with and a colour resembling dirty blonde. Sam made a follow-up appointment to finish the bleaching process at a later date since Kaz decided she wanted to go all out, and it was getting late in the evening when Sam and Kaz arrived back at the flat.

As Sam and Kaz ate takeaway they had ordered, Sam was confronted by an embarrassing realization. She was jealous of Kaz. In particular, Sam was jealous that Kaz was sleeping on their couch. It was a strange thing for Sam to be jealous of, but to Sam, she always associated the couch with memories of her and Lara.   
“Kaz, I want you to take my bed,” Sam announced suddenly. Kaz looked at Sam in surprise.  
“Umm, what?” Kaz replied.  
“I was just thinking, you’re our guest here, and it’s not very polite to have you sleeping on the couch, so let’s trade! You can take my bed, and I’ll take the couch,” explained Sam.  
“Sam… That’s awfully nice of you to offer, but-”  
“-No buts! I insist! I’ll take the couch, you can take my bed, and that’s that!” Sam concluded assertively. Kaz’s eyes widened.  
“Okay! It is your flat, I’m not going to argue if that’s what you want. Just, let me know if you change your mind, I’m totally fine with the couch, really,” Kaz replied.  
“I know, I know, but I really wanna do this,” replied Sam with a smile.  
“Thanks, Sam,” said Kaz, returning Sam’s smile.

 

Nearly ten minutes later, when Sam and Kaz were finishing their meals, Lara arrived. She took off her boots, then glanced over at Kaz and Sam, and double-took when she saw Kaz.  
“Woah, you look different!” Lara said. Kaz smiled politely and Sam grinned widely.  
“Doesn’t she look great? She’s sooo pretty with her hair like this!” Sam asked excitedly.  
“Sure, Sam,” replied Lara. Then, much to Sam’s disappointment, Lara began to walk towards her room. Sam quickly got up and intercepted Lara.  
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going? You don’t like her hair, is that it?” Sam pleaded with a disappointed look on her face.  
“Sam! I’ve had a long day and I’m tired, I’d like to go to bed please,” replied Lara, trying to make her way past her persistent friend.  
“I knew it! You don’t like it! What’s wrong with her hair? I think she looks great! C’mon Lara, what’s wrong?” Sam continued, still not letting Lara past.  
“Sam! What’s wrong is you’re not letting me go to bed and you seem to think I hate Kaz’s new hairstyle or something! She looks fine Sam, but you’re the only person who’s looks really interest me anyway, so stop pestering me with this!” Blurted Lara. Her cheeks then turned bright red and she put her hands over her mouth in embarrassment over the realization of what she just admitted. Sam stood silently for a moment until Lara slipped past her and locked herself in her room.

Sam stood surprised in the living room of the flat, processing what had just happened.  
“I think you pushed her too hard,” Kaz said while washing the dishes. Sam sighed.  
“Yeah, I guess I just got really excited. I mean, you look great, and she’s never shied away from telling me that I do when I ask her what she thinks, you know? I was just really looking forward to her reaction,” replied Sam.  
“Well, I think she just admitted why that was,” Kaz added.  
“Shit, I’ve gotta go talk to her,” concluded Sam, then she made her way straight to Lara’s bedroom door.

 

“Lara!” Sam yelled, knocking on the door.  
“Sam, it’s late, let me sleep!” Sam heard Lara say.  
“Lara, I’m sorry, please talk to me?” Sam continued.  
“Just leave me alone Sam! I’m going to die of embarrassment as it is,” Lara cried exasperatedly.  
“Oh sweetie, I’m not upset at you, I think it’s cute you think I’m pretty,” Sam pleaded through the door.  
“SAM!” Lara cried.  
“Okay okay, I’ll stop,” replied Sam.  
“Look, can you just forget I said anything?” Asked Lara.  
“Okay Lara, I don’t know why you’d want me to, but I won’t bring it up again, I’m really sorry sweetie,” Sam responded. She could hear Lara let out a sigh through the door.  
“It’s okay Sam, I really have had a long day though, can we talk in the morning?” Lara concluded.  
“Okay, I’ll let you rest,” said Sam, and she left Lara be.

 

When Sam went back into the living area, she noticed Kaz had already gone to bed, and taken her room as Sam had offered. So Sam got comfortable on the couch. Despite this being what she wanted, Sam wasn’t happy with her current situation. While the couch was a place she associated with happy memories of her and Lara, it didn’t have the same appeal when Lara was around and she was on it alone. Regardless, Sam snuggled into the cushions and was soon on her way to being soundly asleep.

Sam wasn’t sure what time it was when she was gently shaken awake.  
“Sam? What are you doing out here?” a voice asked her. Sam turned over to see Lara standing by the couch, watching her intently. Sam groaned softly.  
“I let Kaz sleep in my room, so I’m out here,” Sam replied.  
“That was sweet of you Sam,” said Lara, smiling warmly.  
“Mmm, get your rest sweetie, I’ll be fine out here,” Sam mumbled in response, rolling back over onto her side. Lara sighed.  
“Sam, come on, we can share my bed,” Lara said, gently shaking Sam again. Sam turned over slightly.  
“Wha..? Lara, I’m fine,” Sam mumbled as she lay still.  
“Sam, come on, I’m not going to argue with you about this, get up or I’m gonna to carry you,” Lara replied, noticeably running out of patience. Sam shot Lara a grin.  
“Oh, is that a promise, Croft?” Sam asked with a mischievous tone of voice.   
“You know what? I think I’m just going to tickle you instead,” Lara said and reached down to start tickling her bestie. Sam shrieked and begun squirming wildly.   
“Ahh! Okay, I’ll come! I’ll come!” Sam cried, giving in easily.  
“That’s better,” Lara replied smugly.

Sam sighed and got off the couch to follow Lara into her bedroom. Lara let Sam get settled first, then laid next to her, making sure to give Sam space.  
“I’m sorry I slipped away from you earlier Sam, and I think Kaz’s hair is really nice, it suits her,” Lara said as she settled into bed. Sam turned to face her friend.  
“Really? You think so?” Sam asked excitedly.  
“I do, it was you that brought her out to get her hair done today, wasn’t it?” Asked Lara in response, and Sam smiled as she did.  
“Yeah,” replied Sam with a coy smile.  
“That was really nice of you, Sam. You do so much for everyone around you, I’m sorry I ran off like I did earlier,” Lara said with a warmness in her voice. Sam chuckled.  
“Lara, you’ve come a long way since I met you, but to me, you’re still that adorably awkward dork I met all those years ago,” Sam said playfully.  
“Sam…” Lara said softly, her cheeks growing red. Sam chuckled at the sight.  
“I’m sorry,” Lara blurts out, “it was weird of me to say what I did, and now you’re probably creeped out,” she finished, trying to hide her face in her pillow.  
“Lara, you’re never going to creep me out by saying something nice. You’re the single most important person in my life and you know I’ll love you no matter what,” Sam retorted. Lara looked at Sam, a guarded look on her face.  
“Really?” Lara asked. Sam chuckled and reached out, giving Lara’s shoulder a loving squeeze.  
“Yes Lara, now quit being so timid and hold me, I feel safe when you do,” Sam said turning her back to Lara.  
Lara snuggled with Sam, which put her at ease.  
“You know, whenever Kaz moves out, I might just keep sleeping here anyway, you’re bed is huge,” said Sam with a chuckle. Lara sighed.  
“You planned this, didn’t you?” Asked Lara. Sam laughed.  
“I actually didn’t, I was just going to take the couch, but I’m certainly not complaining about how things turned out,” Sam explained. Lara chuckled this time.  
“I love you, you big goof,” said Lara.  
“I love you too Lara,” replied Sam.  
Soon enough, the two fell asleep together, accepting the feeling of butterflies they had around each other resolving to let things run their course. Sam and Lara were as close to being girlfriends as they could get without actually dating, and yet neither of them questioned this aspect of their relationship at all. When Sam and Lara were alone together, the puzzle pieces of their lives always sorted themselves out, and they wouldn’t trade that for the world.


	10. Stone Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After numerous traumatic events, Lara is disturbed by the person she thinks she is becoming.

Despite now sharing a bed every night, Lara and Sam hadn’t spent much time together over the past few weeks. Lara was brought onto the cast of Jonah’s production of Pride and Prejudice after someone cancelled, and one night, when Lara walked Andrea, the lead of the play to the tube and the two women had been the target of a mugging, Lara fought off the would-be assailants but scared off Andrea in the process.  
So now, Lara was juggling both her new job and being the new lead for the play. It was a balancing act for sure, and Lara didn’t have a lot of confidence in herself when it came to her acting skills, especially since the lead role was a big one to fill.

So on the night of final dress, after an amazing pep-talk from Sam, Lara had been feeling better, but after she was made to rush down into the London Subway lines to save Kaz, she wasn’t so sure of herself.  
After the struggle, Lara and Kaz walked the subway line back to the station. The police were quick to aid Lara and Kaz in getting safely off the tracks, but despite how smoothly their questioning went, Lara couldn’t help but feel haunted. The words the Trinity assassin spoke earlier hit Lara close to home.

Lara shuffled quickly into the dressing room when she returned to the theatre. She could hear Kaz explaining what happened to a concerned Jonah and Sam. As Lara finished changing into her clothing from the notoriously impractical costume she’d been wearing for the play, she sat for a moment. Kaz had been mostly silent with Lara since the event happened, but Lara suspected Jonah and Sam wouldn’t be as quiet as Kaz. After a minute of mental preparation, Lara took a deep breath and exited the dressing room.

As soon as she opened the door, Sam darted towards Lara, enveloping her in a hug.  
“Lara! Thank goodness you’re okay, Kaz told us what happened,” said Sam, as she let her friend out of the embrace. Jonah sighed.  
“Don’t worry about missing the dress Little Bird, I can go over your lines with you before opening night, I’m just glad you’re alright,” The unlikely theatre geek said.  
“Well, at least I don’t think we’ll have to worry about Trinity again any time soon. They don’t like getting the attention of law enforcement, so I imagine they won’t try anything with us again,” Kaz chimed in.  
“That’s good to know,” Lara said with relief.

A silence lingered between the four friends for nearly a minute until Jonah spoke.  
“Alright, I need to tidy up around here before the theatre closes for the night, stay safe you guys,” Jonah said.  
The three women said their goodbyes to Jonah and headed home. On the commute to their shared flat, very little was spoken. Even Sam didn’t try to start a conversation. Lara spent the time being a silent sentry with a brooding expression. Sam observed her carefully, concerned for her friend.

When the four arrived at their flat, Lara went to bed straight away much earlier than she usually did. This gave Sam the opportunity to talk to Kaz, who had sat on the sofa to use the new big screen TV Sam had caved and purchased recently. Sam sat next to her and, unsure of what Kaz’s response would be, asked her to explain to her what happened earlier that evening in detail. Kaz wasn’t pleased to have to retell the story, but sensing Sam’s concern, she told her anyway.

Later, when Kaz went to bed, Sam quietly entered Lara’s room to find Lara sitting up on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.  
“Oh, I thought you’d be asleep by now,” Sam said in reaction to the sight.  
“I hoped I would be too, but…” Lara trailed off.  
“You’re still thinking about what happened,” Sam guessed. Lara met Sam’s gaze.  
“Yeah,” Lara said with a sigh. Sam sat beside Lara.  
“Kaz told me what happened earlier,” added Sam. Lara made a noncommittal noise in response. Sam inhaled, preparing herself to speak the next words.  
“Lara…” Sam said, prompting Lara to look at her again.  
“What is it, Sam?”  
“She told me what that Trinity agent said,” replied Sam.  
Lara turned her head away and closed her eyes, haunted by the words that had been spoken. Lara sighed.  
“Everything?” She asked, not wanting to hear the answer.  
“Yes sweetie,” replied Sam, sure to maintain a supportive tone.  
Lara paused before responding.  
“He.. he told me I was a stone-cold killer…” whispered Lara.  
“Lara sweetie…” Sam said softly, placing her hand on Lara’s soothingly.  
“Sam… What.. What if he’s right?” Lara asked sadly.  
Sam’s eyes widened, she expected Lara to be thinking exactly that but wasn’t totally expecting her to admit it. Sam squeezed Lara’s hand before she spoke again.  
“Lara, you’re not cold,” was Sam’s eventual response.  
“But I’m a killer,” Lara immediately responded.  
“Maybe, but that won’t ever change, and even though it has changed you, you’re still my best friend in the whole world and the most important person in my life. Just because you were forced to kill to survive doesn’t make you cold, or a murderer, you’re still one of the sweetest, most selfless people I’ve ever met,” Sam replied, taking her time to tell Lara as many truths she could about her friend.  
“That agent,” Lara started, “he tried to get me to join them, to join Trinity,” she finished.  
“And? You said no, does it matter?” Asked Sam.  
“I don’t know, I just.. It scares me that someone in Trinity could see me as one of them. I’ve not seen Trinity do anything that I haven’t despised them for, why would they think I’d become one of them?” Lara wondered allowed.  
Sam thought over the situation before responding.  
“Lara, I think they see in you... Only what they want to see. The agent knew you fought and killed, and he knew how deadly you can be when confronted. I know there’s truth in that,” Sam said, cringing at the admission.  
“But what he didn’t see was that the reason you fight is to protect yourself and the people you care about, the reason you kill is that you’re presented with no other option, you’re not cold Lara, it’s true. It doesn’t make someone a cold-blooded killer to fight for those they care about,” Sam finished, somewhat impressed at her own coherence regarding the topic.  
Lara paused to think, doubt still persisting.  
“Sam... When I fought off those muggers on the way to the tube when I was with Andrea, she had said I looked like I enjoyed it. She was right, what does that mean?” Asked Lara, still unconvinced.  
Sam took a breath before she continued again.  
“It means you enjoyed giving a couple nasty people a taste of their own medicine sweetie, don’t you think police officers are satisfied when they get the chance to do the same thing? It doesn’t make you a monster, it doesn’t make you cold, and it doesn’t change how I feel about you,” replied Sam.  
Lara digested the words after Sam spoke, and Sam observed Lara’s reaction attentively.

“Sam…” Lara said softly, looking back at her best friend.  
“Hmm?” Sam replied.  
“How.. how do you feel about me?” Lara asked, cautiously.  
Sam rested her head on Lara’s shoulder but stayed silent.  
Lara wasn’t sure if she should speak again but sheepishly prompted Sam again.  
“Sam?”  
“I think you know,” was all Sam said.  
Lara’s breath caught, and she immediately felt butterflies in her stomach. However, not wanting to ruin the moment, and finally feeling content again, she simply leaned into Sam, happy enough with where she currently was.

The two stayed sitting together for a while until eventually they got uncomfortable and decided to actually go to sleep. That night, as Lara drifted off to sleep in Sam’s embrace, everything finally began to make sense.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Comments are my favourite. :)


	11. Passion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Lara come home drunk after the opening night of Pride and Prejudice, and become very close as a result...

It was late in the evening by the time the three girls made it back to their shared flat. Sam and Lara giggled as Lara stumbled through the door and Sam steadied her drunken friend inside. Kaz followed, making sure she gave the increasingly clingy pair space. 

After the opening night of Pride and Prejudice, with Lara in the lead role, she, Sam, Kaz, and Jonah had gone out to celebrate the successful showing. It wasn’t flawless, while Lara gave her best effort to play her part and not let Jonah down, she’d stumbled on a few lines here or there, and while nobody seemed to mind, Lara was thoroughly embarrassed. She made no protests when Jonah dragged the group to a bar and lost all her normal self-control when it came to drinking.

Now, Lara was stumbling around, slurring her words, and the only thing keeping her steady was Sam, who hadn’t gone easy on the drinks either. The two stuck to each other like glue, they leaned against one other and kept each other upright, when Lara would trip and start to fall, Sam kept her from it, and Lara did the same for her friend. The two made their way to the kitchen and steadied themselves against the counter, neither letting go of the other.

“Are you sure you guys don’t want to come over to Jonah’s? We’re gonna stay up ‘till morning and finally have a cookout!” Sam considered Kaz’s suggestion, but as she glanced over at her equally drunken-no, totally smashed friend, she quickly remembered that she and Lara were in no shape to continue partying, let alone travel across town.

“Sorry Kaz, I think Lara and I are gonna stay in for the night, I mean, have you seen her?” Sam replied, giggling while she gave Lara a cheeky smile.  
“Oh c'mon Sam, we’ll be fine, since when do you turn down a party anyway?” Lara said, drawing each syllable out as she slurred.  
“Okay, I get your point,” Kaz replied, chuckling at the sight of a drunken Lara.  
“I’ll be back in the morning then, do either of you need the washroom? I’m gonna wash up before I head out.”  
Sam and Lara looked at each other, then both burst into a fit of laughter and giggles. No one in the room knew why, and Kaz took it as a no, and headed to the washroom and closed the door.

“Seriously Sam, I never thought I’d see the day you’d turn down partying,” Lara said, breaking the two from their laughter.  
“And I never thought I’d see the day when you’d be the first to start downing shots! Let alone see you drink as much as you did!” Sam added, laughing as she recalled the experience. Lara joined her in laughter, adding,  
“Oh my god Sam, you know what I did in Chernobyl? Kaz’s mother-in-law and I, we were hiding in a basement from Trinity… anyway, she taught me how to make Molotov Cocktails, but before that, she and I each drank like half a bottle of vodka.” Lara said, laughing under her breath.  
“Holy shit sweetie,” Sam said, a massive grin growing on her face.  
“What ended up making you do that? Wait, fuck, I think I need to sit down.”  
Sam said, dragging Lara onto the couch. The two sat cuddled together, Lara’s arms wrapped around Sam’s torso while Sam held Lara’s hands. Both girls felt heat rise to their faces as they settled into the embrace, though both passed it off as the alcohol, oblivious to the effect their intimacy was having on one another. Sam broke the silence first.  
“Lara? You were telling me how you ended up downing half a bottle of vodka in Chernobyl? How does that even happen?” Sam shot Lara a grin as she spoke, anticipating her friend’s response. Lara giggled as she replied.  
“She had said it was ‘for strength’, but I don’t know how those Russians do it, because it just made me a bumbling idiot when it came time for me and Kaz to smuggle ourselves out of there.” 

The two laughed together for some time until they found themselves staring into each other's eyes, unable to pull away. Normally, Sam would have been overwhelmed by a flood of foreign negative emotions when she got this close to Lara. The alcohol, however, had subdued her concentration enough that while the emotions were still there, she instead was unable to focus on them over the flurry of her own feelings and the warm tingly sensation her best friend made her feel.  
Lara too had let her guard down. The reservedness which only lifted around Sam, but still prevented her from acting on her emotions was gone. Lara was an open book, she’d reveal anything to Sam then and there if she asked, tell Sam her most private, reserved thoughts, and share her most deeply guarded memories.  
That, however, wasn’t what Sam was interested in. Instead, Sam softly cupped Lara’s cheek, caressing it lightly, and, without warning, dove in for a kiss.

Lara was surprised, but she kissed back, hard. In the blink of an eye, Sam was straddling her best friend and her and Lara were pulling each other against one another in a clumsy embrace. Lara single-mindedly focused on the present, lost in the taste of Sam’s lip gloss and the feeling of their bodies pressed together. She tasted and smelled the alcohol on Sam’s breath, it was unpleasant, but she didn’t care, every other sensation was overwhelming. The soft smoothness of Sam’s skin, the silkiness of her hair, the weight of her body, it all drove Lara crazy.

Sam was similarly overwhelmed by the experience. As she'd predicted, sharing this kind of intimacy with Lara had made her the happiest woman in the world. She felt the ever-present mystery feelings coming to the forefront now, and they were pure, unbridled rage and utter disgust. Sam didn’t care. She shut them away and focused on her own. She focused on the feeling of Lara’s toned body pressed closely against hers, and the feeling of her their lips exploring one another's. It all felt so right. And nothing was going to spoil this for her.

That was when the two heard the sound of Kaz entering the room. Startled, the two pulled away from one another to look over at their friend and roommate. Kaz was smiling widely, causing Lara to blush.  
“Err, sorry I interrupted you two. I’ll be out of your way in a minute. Just, promise me something okay?” Kaz announced, surprising the pair with her request.  
“Uhmm, what do you need?” Lara replied confusedly.  
“Promise me you two will be alright if I go? Like, you guys will be fine in the morning, right?” Kaz asked, concerned about the possible repercussions her new friends getting this close to each other while they were drunk and might not know what they were doing.  
“Aside from nasty hangovers, I think we’ll be fine, thanks Kaz,” Sam replied.  
“Not as fine as you are, Sam,” Lara added, giggling and burying her face in Sam’s neck.  
“Oh my god Lara, you’re ridiculous,” Sam responded as she shot Lara a grin.  
“And.. I think that’s my cue to leave!” Kaz interjected with a smile as she waved goodbye.

When the door shut, and the two girls burst into laughter.  
“Oh my god, did that just happen?” Sam said.  
“Yup,” added Lara.  
“I can’t believe that just happened,” Sam said, continuing to laugh.  
“Which part?” Lara asked, eyeing Sam seductively.  
“Hmm,” Sam started, putting a finger on her chin, “not this part,” she concluded, and drew Lara into a passionate kiss.  
“If that’s what you were thinking,” said Sam as she broke the kiss.  
“In that case, I’m not surprised at all, in fact, I’m surprised it hadn’t happened sooner,” Lara said, grinning at her friend.  
“Well, better late than never I suppose,” said Sam, returning Lara’s smile. The two kissed once more, they explored the taste and texture of each other’s mouths and thrived in the heat of their bodies against each other.

It was Lara who broke away, leaning her head back against the couch with a sigh.  
“Sorry Sam, I’m knackered. I think I’m gonna call it a night,” she said, a tinge of disappointment in her voice.  
“Yeah, you’re right, if we stay up much longer my head will probably explode from whatever migraine I get,” Sam added playfully.  
“Damnit! Don’t remind me,” said Lara with a groan.  
Sam started to get up but Lara didn’t let go. She didn’t need to be told what that meant, so she instead settled cuddling with Lara on the couch, with her head resting on her bestie’s chest. Lara’s breasts made excellent pillows, Sam thought, and she contently closed her eyes, allowing herself to be lulled to sleep by the sound of Lara’s heart beating and the slow rise and fall of her chest. Lara rested happily with a smile on her face and was soon asleep too.

What their passionate encounter would mean the next day, could wait, right now, the present was all that mattered, and before Lara and Sam slept, they relished in it. Both subconsciously understood that this passion is what was missing from their relationship, and now, they understood this fully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was part one of two of the finale of this act in the story. I plan to post the next chapter in a couple days. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed this (half) conclusion to this part of the story! Please let me know what you think in the comments below, and thanks to everyone who's stuck around so far. :)


	12. Compassion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After their intimate encounter the previous night, Sam and Lara finally discuss their feelings for one another.

When Lara woke up, she found herself on the couch with Sam sleeping peacefully against her chest. Despite the terrible hangover she had, she decided to wait until Sam woke up to get up herself. Lara was no stranger to powering through discomfort, so waiting for Sam was nothing to her.

Lara caressed Sam softly and played with her hair while she waited, and Sam stayed asleep for around half an hour before she stirred. When she did, she groaned softly.  
“Morning sunshine, how are you feeling?” Asked Sam.  
“Well, I have a splitting headache, but… I also have you here, I'd say that's worth it,” replied Lara.  
Sam looked up at her roomie, and placed a finger on her face, gently tracing around her lips. Sam’s red lip gloss was smeared around Lara’s face. Lara looked down at Sam and saw that her lip gloss had also been smeared.  
“You're such a sap, sweetie,” Sam eventually replied. Lara reached out and gently ran the backs of her fingers down Sam’s cheek.  
“Hmm, I missed this. Not the hangovers, obviously, us, together on our couch.” Sam chuckled before finishing, “reminds me of our college days.”

Lara and Sam sat in silence for a moment, snuggled together.   
“Sam?” Lara asked. Sam hummed at Lara in acknowledgement.  
“What do you remember from last night?” Sam pondered her flatmate’s question for a moment.  
“Well, I remember you did a fabulous job in the play, I remember you partied harder than I've ever seen you before when we went to get drinks afterwards,” Sam stopped to chuckle at the thought of this, “and I remember us going home and ending up on this couch, and…”  
Sam paused and brought her finger back up to trace around Lara’s lips again. Sam was avoiding the question. She wasn’t sure if Lara remembered how they ended the evening, and she wasn’t sure how Lara felt about it if she did know, or she would feel about it if she didn't know. Lara noticed Sam’s avoidance and prompted her again. “Sam… do you remember what happened after? How we ended up here?” That made Sam nervous, but she decided she'd be bold with her response.  
“Well,” Sam said, eyeing her own lip gloss on Lara’s face, “umm… I'm pretty sure that's mine,” she said, rubbing some lip gloss onto her finger. She placed it in her mouth seductively and tasted it for much longer than she needed to. Lara’s breath hitched as she watched. Sam then moved her face very close to Lara’s, and their noses brushed together. Sam’s lips were only centimetres away from Lara’s, but Lara hadn’t backed away at all and made no indication she was uncomfortable.  
“I think…” Sam said.  
“Yeah..?” Lara breathed almost sensually.  
“I think, we did…” Sam paused.  
“W-what?” Lara stuttered. It was uncommon to see Lara this nervous, and Sam found it incredibly endearing, so she continued.  
“Shhh…” Sam breathed out, dragging out the noise and placing a finger on Lara’s lips. When Sam did, they were parted a bit and trembling ever so slightly. Sam moved her hand to grasp Lara’s face slightly and began moving her lips towards Lara’s. Sam moved her face slowly and purposely stopped just short of Lara’s lips. In the moment, she could feel Lara’s heart beating strongly in her chest. The two stayed like this for a moment, before Lara took a small breath, shut her eyes, and closed the distance between them, pressing her lips against Sam’s. 

If last night had been an emotional rollercoaster, right now was an emotional space launch. Lara and Sam’s memory of their passionate encounter the previous night was a foggy blur, but what was happening now was crystal clear. Lara’s lips explored Sam’s so cautiously, and Sam’s stomach did backflips as a result. As they kissed and placed hands cautiously and softly against one another, Sam was sure this was what she'd been missing. She'd been in relationships before, not for very long, mind you, and had one night stands as well, but every single one of her past encounters and relationships combined couldn’t compare to the passion and the feeling of electricity and fire that she was feeling in this very moment. The kiss ended too soon, in Sam’s opinion at least, and for a second, she thought she'd done something wrong. Then Sam met Lara’s gaze, and she saw the same look of adoration Lara was giving her that she’d grown used to seeing from her, and only her.

 

“Sam…” Lara said breathily.  
“Yes, sweetie?” Replied Sam.  
“Sam, I... I'm in love with you,” was what Lara said. Sam felt like she could scream with joy right then and there, and she really wanted to, but both her and Lara had awful hangovers, so instead, Sam smiled widely and drew Lara into a big hug.  
“I've been waiting for you to tell me that for so long!” Sam exclaimed breathily. When she pulled away from the hug, there were tears in her eyes. Lara gently wiped them from her cheeks.  
“Are you okay Sam?” Sam quickly nodded. Lara smiled, then stretched her arms above the head.   
“So, tea and breakfast?” Lara asked.  
“Oh my god, please,” was Sam’s response, then she got up off the couch so Lara could as well. Sam went to the washroom to have the first shower, and Lara got started on food. It was wonderfully domestic, something the two hadn’t really experienced together since before their expedition.  
When Sam got out of the shower, she brought four ibuprofen tablets with her and placed two next to each of the cups of tea on the table Lara had set. Lara finished placing the breakfast she cooked onto two plates, and then placed them on the table. Sam surveyed the food. On each plate was a large serving of scrambled eggs, some sausages, and toast.   
“Sorry, I know you're partial to those saucer-biscuits, but I didn't think I could stomach them right now,” Lara said.  
“Pancakes Lara,” Sam said with a smirk, “but thank you, this is wonderful.”  
Lara then spotted the tablets next to her tea and immediately swallowed them with a sip of her drink.  
“Thank god, you're a lifesaver, Sam,” Lara said immediately after. Sam smiled.  
“Don't you know it!” Sam said playfully.  
The two then ate their breakfast quietly, and afterwards, Lara placed their dishes in the sink and went to take her shower. Now that their flat had a TV again, Sam went to pick something for the two to watch. Lara thankfully had the day off, and Sam didn't have any classes either so the two would be able to spend their day with one another, and their hangovers were a good excuse to be lazy. When Lara got out of the shower and finished drying off, Lara and Sam did exactly that. They settled into the couch again, and their usual dynamic had changed ever so slightly. Lara was much more comfortable with physical contact and spent the time watching the film gently caressing Sam’s skin and playing with her hair. Much to Sam’s surprise, she even occasionally planted loving kisses on Sam’s head, and Sam was overwhelmed by butterflies so much so she barely paid attention to the movie. When it ended neither Lara nor Sam said anything about it or moved to find anything else to watch. They'd become completely focused on the sensations of each other's touch, and this went on for quite some time before Lara suddenly stopped.  
“Sam, is this okay?” Lara asked.  
“What?” Sam replied softly.  
“I mean, all this,” Lara motioned to how the two had been cuddled together, “you didn't actually tell me how you felt, I don't want to make you uncomfortable if you're not okay with it…” Lara trailed off. Sam met Lara’s gaze and reached out to lovingly cup Lara’s cheek, and giggled before she spoke.  
“Lara sweetie, I’m not sure how clueless you really are, but I’m going on the assumption that it’s a lot,” said Sam with a smile causing Lara to blush.  
“When I first met you, I had just recently found out I was actually interested in girls. I didn't know what I was doing with my life except that I loved using cameras. So when I saw you there, focused entirely on your books adorably eating those Jaffa Cakes as you did, I think everything fell into place and I knew exactly where and with who I wanted to be. Like, you were the sweetest person I'd ever met and you were amazingly smart and courageous too. I can't remember exactly when I fell head over heels for you, but when I did, I knew that was it for me.”  
Lara digested Sam’s confession for a minute before she spoke again. She remembered how they met, and how Sam so skillfully coaxed Lara out of her shell, but never pushed her too far or did anything without her consent. Sam. Lara was in love with her, and Sam loved her back. In retrospect, it seemed ridiculous, how their relationship never grew beyond ‘friends’ for so many years.  
“Sam…” Lara said with a smile.  
“I'd told Kaz you were everything to me, she told me I was in love.” She continued. Sam chuckled.  
“Kaz, she seems to figure everything out, doesn't she?” Replied Sam.  
“It's true, Sam. You are. Everything to me. I'd do anything for you. I know I've told you that before, but…” Lara sighed and squeezed Sam against her.   
“After what happened on the expedition, after how much I pushed myself to save you, I knew I was never going to be able to let go of you,” Lara said with bated breath, her anxiety of the topic obvious.  
“Oh, Lara… I wish you didn’t have to save me, I wish we could have pushed through Yamatai as a team like we helped each other through college, it hurts me to think about what you went through for me,” Sam said, tears welling in her eyes.  
“I… I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I'm glad you came on the expedition, I don't think we would have made it out of there if I didn't have you to fight for, but I’d do it all again if I was given the choice.” Confessed Lara.  
At this, tears fell from both Sam and Lara’s faces, and for the first time since they arrived back from that fated expedition, they cried together. Yes, Sam and Lara made it off Yamatai alive, and they still had each other, but a part of both of them was lost on that island, so together, they grieved for their lost innocence and the friends that didn't make it back. For a while, the two held each other while they both sobbed, letting themselves feel all the emotions that came and went.

After a few minutes, Sam was about to get up to grab her and Lara some tissues when her phone rang on the coffee table. Sam paused what she was doing, picked up her phone, and stared at it for a second.  
“Well, who is it?” Lara asked.  
“It’s Jonah,” replied Sam.  
“We should probably talk to him, he’ll get worried if we don’t,” Lara said with a smile.  
Sam reluctantly answered and put the phone on speaker while she brushed away the thin layer of salty tears on her face.  
“Hey, Sampiper! How are you and Lara feeling today?” Jonah’s voice boomed through the phone’s speaker. Sam sniffled before she responded.  
“We’re alright, Jonah, just taking it easy after last night,” Sam replied. Jonah laughed through the receiver.  
“I suspect you guys would be feeling a bit off today after how much you two drank at the bar last night,” Jonah said with a chuckle. Lara groaned.  
“You’re absolutely right about that,” replied Lara.  
“Well, it’s good to hear you two are okay, anyway, I’m actually calling because Kaz had an announcement to make, so I’m gonna give the phone to her,” Jonah concluded.  
Sam and Lara shared a look of confusion as they listened to Jonah passing the phone to their flatmate.  
“Hey, you two!” Kaz said excitedly, “so, guess what?” She asked.  
Lara and Sam hummed in confusion together, unsure of what the announcement was that Kaz had for them.  
“By the tone of your voice, it’s something good I hope?” Sam eventually replied.  
“Definitely! Jonah says I can move in with him! He’s got a room here that he’s barely using that will have more than enough space for me, and, that’s not even the best part!” Kaz said in an ecstatic tone.  
“I got a job! A company here in town wanted a specialist to help update their surveillance systems, and they gave me the contract!” Kaz concluded, clearly elated by the turn of events.  
“That’s fantastic!” Lara replied.  
“I’m so happy for you!” Sam added.  
“We’re,” Lara corrected, and paused to look at Sam, “so happy for you,” she concluded. Sam met Lara’s gaze with a smile and a twinkle in her eyes and Lara felt butterflies as a result.  
“Aww, thank you both! I know I’ve probably said this a million times by now, but it’s true; I could never have gotten this far without you two, you gave me a second chance when no one else could,” Kaz replied, gratitude audible in her voice.  
“You know we do everything we can for our friends, so you’re more than welcome,” replied Sam.  
“Well, Jonah and I stayed up pretty late, so we’re gonna get back to being lazy,” Kaz said with a laugh.  
“To be honest, we’ve been mostly resting today as well,” Lara said in response.  
“Hah, I expect you two need it after last night, well then, take care of each other!” Kaz concluded.  
“Bye Kaz,” said Sam as she ended the call.

When she put the phone back on the coffee table, Sam looked at Lara sheepishly. Lara met Sam’s gaze with a blank expression, mouthing “what?” in confusion, and Sam’s face reddened in response.  
“Do you think she knows?” Sam finally asked.  
“Knows what?” Lara responded quickly.  
“Well, I’m pretty sure Kaz came here with us before she went to Jonah’s last night, and… you know,” Sam replied looking at Lara with a shy smile.  
“Oh my god…” Lara said as she realized what Sam was implying.  
“You think she saw us?” Lara asked.  
“I think it’s likely,” Sam said after some thought. Lara pondered the situation as well.  
“Well, I don’t remember much of last night after we got to the bar, to be honest,” said Lara.  
“Me either, it’s all bits and pieces,” added Sam.  
“She’s probably not going to say anything then, considering you know, we were super drunk,” Lara finished, smiling at Sam. Sam smiled back, put a finger on Lara’s chin, and brought her lips close to Lara’s, before pausing.  
“Well, we’re not drunk now, what does that mean?” Sam asked breathily, before closing the distance between their lips.  
The kiss was slow and methodical but wasn’t lacking any of the passion from before, Sam could tell Lara was enjoying herself, and Lara could tell Sam was as well.  
Sam broke the kiss with a chuckle, smiling next to Lara.

“Your lips taste like salt,” said Sam. Lara laughed softly.  
“So do yours,” Lara replied.  
“Hmm… you know what that made me think of?” Added Sam, trying to hide the grin growing on her face.  
“What?” Lara asked, eying Sam suspiciously.  
“Fried Rice!” Sam blurted with a smile.  
“Oh my god,” replied Lara after processing what Sam had just said.  
“C’mon! You and I haven’t ordered food in forever,” Sam said with excitement. Lara laughed in response.  
“Okay, for the record, I never said no. But that doesn’t mean you’re not ridiculous,” Lara said smiling at Sam.  
“I know! That’s why you love me!” Replied Sam before quickly planting a kiss on Lara’s lips and running off to look up places to order from.  
“Part of why!” Lara shouted as Sam disappeared into her room to grab her laptop.  
When Sam returned, the two spent some time picking a place to order from and spent the rest of the day watching movies they agreed to actually pay attention to.  
That night, despite now having her room unoccupied by Kaz, Sam again slept with Lara in her bed. The next day, Lara would have to work again and Sam had classes to attend, so the two women made the most of this time they shared together. Neither Sam nor Lara had decided where they wanted their relationship to go next yet, but now they knew how they felt about each other, and knowing that was half the battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whew! There it is, the end of this arc of the story. It's not over, but I don't have any more chapters at the ready to post for you guys just yet. Anyway, I hope I did a good job with this part! Sam and Lara's dynamic is going to be pretty different from here on now that they know how each other feels, I have some good ideas on how I'm going to work it into the events of Queen of Serpents and it should be fun to write! Hope you all will like it!
> 
> So let me know what you thought in the comments below, as comments are my favourite as I've said :) and hopefully, the next chapters won't take me too long to write. :D


	13. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sam and Lara finally know how each other feel, and are adjusting to life as a couple, but Lara is unnerved by how calm their life has become.

When Sam arrived at the flat in the late afternoon, she was surprised when Lara shouted a greeting to her.  
“Hey sweetie,” Sam called back.  
“You’re home early, what’s the occasion?” Sam asked as she made her way to Lara’s room.  
“Some investors or whatever are being toured around the museum so management let most of us go home,” Lara explained.  
Sam entered Lara’s room to find her working on her laptop, and Sam failed not to notice Lara push her weapons case back under her bed with her foot.  
“What’cha working on?” Asked Sam.  
“Nothing important, just some research I was doing,” Lara said as she closed the lid of her laptop and turned to face Sam.  
“So can I see?” Pried Sam, concerned that Lara was deflecting.  
“Maybe later, I thought you’d wanna spend time together since I’m here early,” replied Lara with a warm smile.  
“But we’re spending time together right now, and I like to know what you’re up to,” interjected Sam, growing increasingly suspicious.

Lara sighed and looked back at her laptop.  
“Honestly, I just started and there isn’t much to show, why are you so interested all of a sudden anyway? I thought you’d want to do something else,” asked Lara. Sam crossed her arms, frustrated that Lara still wasn’t opening up.  
“Well, first off, I’m interested because well, I’m always interested in what you’re up to, but right now it’s mostly because you don’t seem to want me to know what it is your doing. Secondly, I saw you push your weapons case under the bed when I walked in, so tell me, what is it you’re working on?” Asked Sam.

 

Lara paused and took a deep breath, then made eye contact when she spoke.   
“I’m planning,” Lara finally admitted.  
Sam’s eyes widened at what Lara’s response might imply.  
“Planning for what?” Sam quickly asked.  
“Sam, no no no, I’m not running off somewhere or anything, it’s just that… I don’t know how to explain it,” Lara confessed defensively.  
Sam moved closer to Lara and gently put a hand on her shoulder.  
“Try me, I’ll listen,” Sam said softly.  
“I.. I feel like, the threat to us isn’t gone. I don’t know if Trinity will come after us again or if it’s something I haven’t thought of yet and I’m scared of what will happen if I’m not ready for it and-” Lara was cut off by Sam wrapping her arms around Lara from behind and shushing her softly, planting a kiss on her head.  
“Lara, we’re going to be okay, you hear me?” Sam said gently while rocking Lara gently back and forth.  
“What makes you think so?” Asked Lara, unconvinced.  
“I don’t know, it’s been a bit over a week since we’ve seen or heard from Trinity, and you heard what Kaz said, they won’t want to go near us now after last time. So what has you so worried sweetie?” Replied Sam.  
“On the island, everyone kept telling me I needed to trust my instincts, stop trying to rationalize everything. It doesn’t make sense to me, but I feel like something’s going to happen to us again. I guess preparing for whatever that could be makes me feel safer,” Lara explained.

Sam walked around to be in front of Lara.  
“You don’t feel safe?” Asked Sam, concerned.  
“No,” Lara said sadly while looking at the ground.  
Sam hummed in acknowledgement, then sat on Lara’s lap.  
“Sam… You’re going to break the chair,” Lara said with a hint of playfulness in her voice.  
“Well, then we’ll get a new one. How long have you not felt safe sweetie?” Replied Sam quickly.  
“I don’t know.. since the expedition I guess. Part of me feels like I never left that place, that I’m still fighting for my friends and my life, and the world hasn’t proven me wrong yet,” Lara said somberly with a sigh.

 

The two sat thinking while Sam gently rubbed Lara’s back. After a bit, Sam spoke.  
“Well, I don’t think that feeling of dread that came from the island is going to go away any time soon, but in the meantime, I can at least help you plan, what do you say?”  
“Oh, I suppose you could.. if you want to,” Lara said, caught off guard by Sam’s response.  
“Of course I do sweetie, I’ll be right back, I’m gonna get another chair,” replied Sam with a gentle smile.  
Sam stood up, kissed Lara’s head and ran off. Less than a minute later she returned and sat down in the chair she retrieved which she’d placed next to Lara.  
“So, what do you have so far?” Sam asked supportively.  
Lara opened up her laptop and briefly looked at the screen before replying.  
“Well, right now I just have a little inventory list. Stuff that I can use to fight back against, well anyone who would be a threat.”  
Lara’s list was short, she’d written down the weapons in her case, and some of the climbing gear she kept elsewhere. Sam pondered the list in front of her for a moment before having an important realization.  
“Well, I think I see your problem sweetie, to me, it looks like your only plan here is to fight whoever comes after us directly. Not that I don’t think you're capable, but there are times when that's just not feasible. You need to think of plans B and C,” Sam explained with a smile.  
Lara pondered Sam’s words for a minute before responding.  
“So, plans B and C, what would those be then?” asked Lara.  
“I dunno, it’s your plan, but I’d start with the basics, run, and get help,” continued Sam.  
“Sam… there’s a reason I hadn’t considered ‘help’, I don’t want to drag anyone into this…” Lara interjected. Sam sighed.  
“Lara, I’m not saying we should drag people down, what I am saying is we have friends who care about us, who’d be willing to lend us a hand. Jonah, Kaz, hell, even Reyes,” Sam explained.  
“Reyes wanted out, she won’t like if I come calling for help again Sam,” Lara interrupted.  
“Okay, sure, but she still cares about what happens to us. We don’t have to ask her to come to another Yamatai with us, but I’m pretty sure if we’re in real danger she’s not going to be upset if we ask her for help, you know?” Clarified Sam.  
“Jonah has a job and a life here though, and Kaz-” Lara continued but this time was interrupted by Sam.  
“Okay sweetie, I’m just going to stop you right there. They’re our friends, and like I said, they care about us. I get that you don’t want to put people in danger but let them make that choice for themselves if it ever comes to it. Look, I know you had to go through Yamatai mostly on your own, but we’re not there anymore, we have people who care about us and are willing to help us. Protecting others doesn’t count for anything if you hurt people doing it,” finished Sam.

Lara took a minute to process Sam’s points then inhaled deeply before agreeing.  
The two spent the better part of the next hour listing the people they could contact and how they could contact them in different situations, and planning different escape routes and meeting points around and outside the city.  
By the time Lara and Sam finished, a cohesive, well-structured plan was written out which left Lara feeling much safer and less anxious, and both her and Sam hungry and ready to eat.

The two women spent the rest of their evening cooking and eating together, and watched a documentary before they called it a night. As Lara and Sam snuggled with one another in bed, Lara felt the need to clear the air.  
“I’m sorry,” Lara said suddenly. Sam turned to face her.  
“Hmm? For what sweetie?” Sam asked softly.  
“I’m sorry I keep feeling this way. I’m sorry I keep getting anxious and worried all the time for nothing when I should be happy, especially since I’m with you,” Lara confessed.  
“Babe, it’s okay, really. After what we’ve been through, it’s totally understandable. I’ll admit I never really feel at ease unless I’m with you, and everything we feel, it’s justified,” Sam said comfortingly. Lara smiled warmly.  
“I love you, Sam,”  
“I love you too Lara,” replied Sam.  
The two locked eyes and before either realized, their lips met in a gentle embrace. The kiss was slow and tender, and the pair shared a smile when it was broken.  
Afterwards, Lara lay on her back and Sam snuggled against her, resting her head on Lara’s chest with her arms wrapped around her.  
“It’ll get better sweetie, even if we have to fight for it, and I’ll be here the whole way through,” Sam said softly.  
“Thank you,” replied Lara with a gentle tone.  
As the two women drifted off to sleep, anxious thoughts bothered their minds, but together, they comforted one another and formed a healthy balance that, if maintained, could help them both through anything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all! Whew, first off, I'm really sorry it took me a month to get this chapter finished and posted. It took me a while to get this chapter to where it is now (obviously) but I've got the rest of the final arc planned so future chapters (hopefully) shouldn't take too long.
> 
> Anyway, with Shadow less than a week away I'm worried that there won't be anyone left following Salara works, so if you're still reading, comments are always appreciated. I've still got a lot in my timeline planned so I hope people will stick around to read it!


	14. Over their heads

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lara and Sam plan to meet up at The British Museum at the end of Lara’s shift, but are confronted by some shady individuals in the process.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey all, sorry this chapter took so long. Since it's largely a retelling of part of the comics it was a bit harder for me to be motivated when I couldn't be as creative, but it's still important to the overall story, so... ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯  
> Anyway, hope you all are still enjoying it, and I really hope I can get the next chapter done in less time than it took me to write these last two.

After she parted ways with her classmates, Sam happily walked the streets of London, headed towards the museum to meet her girlfriend. The night was calm and the city felt relaxed as a result. The warm mid-summer air made it a lovely night.

“Ooh!” Exclaimed Sam as she stopped to take a look inside a bakery. Sam looked around at the various baked goods on display and stopped when she found some particularly delicious looking cupcakes.  
“Oh yes! That’ll be what Lara needs, I bet,” Sam commented to herself.  
She bought a selection of cupcakes and continued back onto the street.  
“Major brownie points for me, still not sure what the hell those are,” said Sam as she resumed walking. As she entered a quieter neighbourhood, she heard footsteps behind her and glanced behind to see who was there. Much to Sam’s dismay, a suspicious looking man hiding in a hoodie was walking the same direction as her. Sam quickened her pace and took a turn down a path connecting to a parallel street to see if the man would follow. Sam looked back to see the man turn and face a wall, making a poor attempt at being subtle. Her suspicions confirmed, she dialled Lara and was greeted by her answering machine.  
“Shit! Phone me, I’m being followed,” Sam said quickly and put away her phone.  
Sam then hid around a corner, preparing to confront the stranger.  
“This is not happening again,” Sam assured herself, readying herself.

As soon as the man turned the corner, Sam smushed a cupcake in his face and kneed him in the groin, knocking him over. Sam did her best to pin the stranger down, holding his face against the ground with one hand and holding up her fist ready to strike again should he try anything.  
“Why are you following me?” Sam demanded. Before she could get a response, however, the man twisted his leg free and kicked Sam off of him, then darted away.  
“Yeah, you’d better run, I have more cupcakes you know!”  
Sam was disappointed, however, that upon inspection, the cupcakes had been ruined in the scuffle. They were squashed into the box and would have to be scraped out, not really what Sam had in mind for a gift.  
So she sighed, and continued forward, throwing away the cupcakes in the nearest rubbish bin.

 

When Sam arrived at the museum, she didn’t have much time before she heard a familiar voice yelling at someone to stop, and was pushed by a man dressed the same way as the one who’d been following her earlier.  
“Hey! Watch it!” Sam exclaimed.  
“Stop him Sam!” Lara cried from behind. Without pause, Sam began to sprint after the man with Lara, chasing him around the closed museum.  
“Be careful!” Lara said as the two noticed the man reach into the duffel bag he was carrying.  
All of a sudden, something was thrown onto the floor and Sam was tackled to the ground by Lara, who cried, “Get Down!” Dramatically.  
Lara shielded Sam with her body, and the two of them covered their heads with their arms, fearing the worst, but moments later, nothing happened.  
“Er, what did you just save me from Lara?” Asked Sam.  
Lara looked up towards the object and cursed when she saw it.  
“Bloody hell, it’s just a remote, sorry Sam,” Lara explained.  
“It’s okay, I’m not exactly opposed to having you on top of me, though I admit this isn’t what I had in mind,” replied Sam with a cheeky grin.  
“Sam!” Lara cried as her cheeks went red.  
Lara then got up and helped Sam to her feet, and surveyed the area.  
“Damn it, he got away,” said Lara.  
“That’s too bad, I was hoping to get some revenge after what happened earlier,” Sam said to herself.  
“Earlier? What do you mean?” Asked Lara.  
“You didn’t have time to check your phone before I got here did you?” Sam asked in response.  
“No, did something happen?” Lara asked.  
“Oh, well, on my way here, I was followed by a man dressed the same way the guy that just got away was, I scared him off before anything happened, but I’m willing to bet the two creeps are working for the same person,” explained Sam. Lara sighed and took a moment to process the information.  
“Sam, I’m sorry, I don’t know what’s going on. I guess I’d better go talk to security for now, will you be okay until I get back?” Lara said after some thought.  
“Yeah, I need to find a place to charge my phone anyway, let me know if you find anything out,” replied Sam.  
“I will, and I love you, stay safe,” Lara said before leaving.  
“I love you too, and I will,” replied Sam.

After Lara returned, the two went into one of the curating rooms so Lara could get her bag.  
“Security said they saw no one apart from you, he must have come in when the museum was still open and hidden somewhere,” Lara explained.  
“This is turning into a really weird evening,” replied Sam.  
“I think it just got weirder,” Lara said as she pointed at the room’s whiteboard. “PLAY ME LARA CROFT” was written in large letters on the board. Sure enough, Lara found a tape in the VCR and pressed play.  
A bare room with a wooden chair was all that was visible on the screen at first, then a man in a sweater who had his hands tied behind his back was made to sit down.  
“That looks like…” Lara observed.  
When the man faced the camera, both women shouted “Grim!” in unison.  
“You’re seeing this too, right?” Sam asked, dumbstruck.  
“I’m seeing it, I’m just not sure I’m believing it,” replied Lara.  
“Grim’s alive!” Exclaimed Sam.  
A middle-aged woman with grey curly hair and a bandana covering half her face then appeared in frame.  
“Lara Croft. We have your friend, Angus Grimaldi,” the woman spoke.  
“Err, how does she know your name?” Sam asked.  
“If you wish to see him alive again, then wire five million U.S. Dollars to the following account. Otherwise, you will see him in pieces. You have two weeks, we know where you live and we know who your friends are,” the woman finished.  
The screen then went white and a bank account number was centred in red text.  
“This can’t be, I was there. He went over the edge,” Lara remarked.  
“Did you see his body?” Asked Sam.  
“No,” answered Lara.  
“We have to get this to Kaz and have her analyze it,” Sam said as she ejected the tape from the machine.  
“We’d better call Jonah too,” added Lara.

 

After a couple of quick phone calls to Jonah and Kaz, and a stop at the flat to change, Sam and Lara headed to Kaz and Jonah’s place.  
As their friends flat was a decent ways away, the commute took a while, and Lara and Sam leaned against each other the entire way. They both worried about Grim and the people that had been following them, not yet sure of what their next steps would be. When the two arrived at Kaz and Jonah’s, they were greeted by Kaz.  
“Hey, how are you guys doing? Did you make it here okay?”  
“Yeah, we’re alright, just…” Sam began.  
“Confused,” Lara interrupted.  
“Yeah, that about sums it up,” agreed Sam.  
“Alright, well let me take a look at that tape for you, my room’s this way,” replied Kaz.  
Kaz led Lara and Sam to her room. Inside, she had a large desk with many monitors and various surveillance monitoring equipment on top. In the room, Kaz also had a small couch and her bed and dresser in the corner.  
“Alright, let me take a look at that tape, I can check to see whether it was tampered with at all, could be a good way to tell if the blackmailers in question are just trying to scam you, Lara,” Kaz explained.  
Sam took the tape out of her bag and handed it to Kaz, who placed it in a complex looking tape machine. Kaz then spent around ten minutes digitizing the tape and running the frames through an analysis program she’d written.  
“Well, I’ve got some good news and some bad news,” Kaz said as she finished.  
Sam and Lara looked at each other briefly before Kaz continued.  
“The bad news is none of this recording was faked, I mean, we can’t rule out they got an actor or something to pretend they were Grim, but I don’t really think that’s likely. The good news, however, is I noticed a couple things that could help us out,” explained Kaz.  
“Honestly, I’d like to know anything at this point,” replied Lara with a sigh.  
“Okay, I can’t get much information on the account, other than it’s based in Mexico, but this is interesting,” answered Kaz as she pulled up the video once more. Kaz paused when the woman in the video was closest to the camera, and immediately, Sam recognized what Kaz was showing them.  
“I’ve seen that tattoo before, the guy who was following me had the same one on his arm,” Sam pointed out.  
“It belongs to a bandit group known as Las Serpientes Que Caminan,” explained Kaz.  
“The Snakes who Walk,” Lara translated.  
“They’re said to operate out of the Lacandon Jungle. Their Leader’s a woman known as “The Serpent Queen”,” continued Kaz.  
“I’m guessing that’s her on the video,” said Lara.  
“They’ve kidnapped people before, tourists and the like. A few years back Lucya and I went on a vacation to Mexico and the tour guides there made a really big deal about them, they’re scary,” Kaz finished.

Lara and Sam sat on the small couch, exhausted by the situation. Lara let out a sigh and started to fix her hair out of stress.  
“I can’t believe I left him there, and he was still alive. I should’ve checked,” Lara said in a solemn tone.  
“It’s not your fault, Lara, you didn’t know,” Sam said reassuringly. Sam then gently took Lara’s hands away from her hair and wrapped her arm around her to tuck her hair away.  
Just then, there were two knocks on the wall.  
“Kaz, you in there?” Jonah called.  
“Come in, Jonah, Sam and Lara are here,” said Kaz.  
Jonah walked in carrying a cardboard box.  
“What’s that?” asked Sam, leaning forward to see.  
“See for yourself,” Jonah said with worry.  
Lara opened the box and her shock showed on her face when saw the contents.  
“That’s Grim’s hat, isn’t it?” Asked Sam.  
“Yes, and there’s blood on it,” Jonah replied.  
“Oh god…” Said Sam.  
“I think this is what’s known as sending a message,” stated Lara.  
“What are we going to do?” Sam asked in frustration.  
“Pay the ransom,” Lara stated grimly.  
“How? Neither of us are exactly loaded right now, and my uncle won’t help us again after Yamatai,” Sam questioned.  
“He won’t, but I know who will,” said Lara.  
Sam’s expression immediately changed to a serious one after hearing this.  
“Wait, do you mean who I think you mean?” Sam asked incredulously. Lara sighed.  
“Terrible idea, right? I just honestly don’t know what else to do at this point, so I have to try,” said Lara in response.  
“Well whatever you’re gonna do, it’s getting late, and we should all probably sleep first, though I don’t think we have space for you to crash here,” said Kaz.  
“That’s fine, I think we’d be better off sleeping in our own bed anyway,” replied Sam.  
“I’ll call a cab for you guys,” said Jonah.  
“Thanks,” replied Lara.

Half a minute later, Jonah reappeared.  
“Your ride should be here in a few minutes, they’ll call when they’re here,” stated Jonah.  
“You know, this really sucks that our first real visit to your new place is under these crappy circumstances, we really need to hang out for real sometime after we get this whole situation sorted out,” said Sam playfully with a tinge of regret.  
“Definitely,” Jonah agreed.  
“That would be nice,” said Lara.  
“I’ll make sure he doesn’t forget that too!” Added Kaz.  
“Hey! Don’t make me send you back with them,” Jonah replied jokingly.  
“No way! You’re stuck with her now,” teased Sam.  
“Oh, like you minded having me around,” added Kaz with a smile.  
“You’re right, I didn’t,” Sam replied with a grin.  
“I wouldn’t have invited her to stay if I knew you would,” said Lara. Sam smiled warmly at her in response.  
“Hate to break this up, but I see the cab coming up the street now, you two should get going,” interjected Jonah.  
“Bloody hell, that didn’t take long,” exclaimed Lara. The two then put on their outdoor clothes, gave Jonah and Kaz quick hugs, and made their way outside.

On the way home, Lara was reminded of something Sam had said earlier.  
“So, Sam, you thought we’d be better off sleeping in ‘our’ bed?” Lara asked with an eyebrow raised.  
“Shit, did I say that?” Responded Sam.  
“Don’t worry, I don’t think they noticed,” Lara replied with a chuckle. Sam sighed.  
“When do you think we should tell them about us anyway?” Asked Sam.  
“I don’t know, maybe sometime after we figure out how to save Grim,” said Lara.  
“You really think attempting to reclaim the Croft Estate is the right approach to this? I honestly didn’t think you’d ever even consider it,” asked Sam.  
“I don’t know, and I hate that I am even considering it. I just really don’t know what else to do. Grim needs help, and I have to do everything I can,” replied Lara.  
“Yeah,” Sam said with a sigh. Sam then leaned her head on Lara’s shoulder.  
“Well, whatever happens, we’ll do it together sweetie,” Sam said softly.  
“Hmm, I hope so, love,” Lara replied.


	15. Master of Planning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Lara goes to confront her uncle Atlas de Mornay about reclaiming the Croft Estate, Sam plans a covert trip to Mexico in order to rescue Grim.

“I don't understand how you can wear these things Sam, the skirt on this suit is so short!” Complained Lara.  
“I know sweetie, blame the dress codes at the events I went to in this,” Sam replied as she smoothed out the suit Lara was borrowing from her.  
“At least now I know who to write a formal complaint to,” said Lara with a grin. Sam smiled in response.  
“Well, before you do that, it's time for you to go voice a formal complaint to your Uncle, which you'd better not be late to. C’mon, I'll go with you to his building,” Sam said encouragingly. Lara sighed.  
“Yeah, let's get going, I'd better get this over with,” said Lara, finishing by taking a deep breath.

The couple walked out to catch their cab and on the trip downtown, much to Lara’s chagrin, Sam was fixated on removing unnoticeable wrinkles and lint from her suit Lara was wearing.  
After what Lara felt was far too short a ride, the two got out a couple blocks away from Lara’s Uncle’s building.

“You alright sweetie? We’re almost there,” Sam asked tentatively.  
“I’m as alright as I’m going to be considering I’m about to go speak to Atlas de Mornay,” Lara said with a sigh.  
“You’ve not seen your Uncle in years,” noted Sam.  
“That’s because he’s a shit, he always blamed Dad for what happened to Mum. But he’s still the executor of the Croft Estate,” explained Lara.  
Lara then stopped, looking up at the building ahead.  
“This is it,” Lara said, breathing out.  
“Do you think he’ll just hand it over? I mean, he doesn’t have a choice, does he?” Sam asked.  
“He has to authorize it still, and we’ve never been close, so…” Lara replied nervously.  
“Still, you are rocking my suit,” Sam said proudly, straightening the pearl necklace she’d lent to Lara.  
“Feels weird,” Lara deflected.  
“It says confidence,” said Sam authoritatively.  
“I’m pretty sure it says, ‘I am a woman who should be in trousers!’” Lara replied with a nervous chuckle.  
“Trust me, just… imagine he has a weapon or something,” Sam said encouragingly.  
“He does, Sam,” retorted Lara.  
“Well, that never stopped you before, did it? C’mon sweetie, you’ll be fine,” Sam fired back without missing a beat as they approached the building’s entrance.  
Lara sighed. “Thanks, Sam, I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Lara said as she stopped.  
“Hey, someone’s gotta look out for you,” Sam said with a smile. She then chuckled softly as she approached Lara.  
“What is it?” Lara asked.  
“I was just thinking, I’d kiss you goodbye, but I wouldn’t want to mess up your perfect makeup,” Sam said with a grin.  
“Now, that would be a shame, wouldn’t it?” Lara replied, smiling at the thought.  
“Okay, you’d better not be late, go in there, and try not to cause too much trouble,” said Sam. Lara frowned.  
“I’ll try not to, but I think my Uncle might cause more trouble than me,” Lara replied.  
“Well, if you need anything, sweetie, just call, I’ll be at home when you’re done,” said Sam. Lara smiled sadly, gave a small wave goodbye, and the two parted ways.

 

Back at the flat, Sam decided that if Lara ended up unsuccessful in reclaiming her claim to the Estate, this would be the perfect opportunity to prove herself to Lara. So Sam immediately begun planning, she had an idea that if executed properly, could save them from having to pay the ransom at all and Sam had her doubts about whether or not Las Serpientes Que Caminen would stay true to their word if they even managed to pay in the first place.

A short while later, Sam contacted Jonah and Kaz to get them on board and was feeling confident in the plan she’d concocted. It wasn’t long before she received a text from Lara, unfortunately, confirming things didn’t work out.   
“Time for plan B,” Sam said to herself.

 

It wasn’t long before Lara got back. She threw off the suit jacket and collapsed onto the couch in a heap when she entered the flat.  
“I can’t believe that man!” She exclaimed.  
Sam looked up from her laptop to see Lara visibly stressed. Sam stood up, picked up a blanket, and sat beside Lara, wrapping her in the warm fabric.  
“Oh sweetie, let me get you some tea, what happened with your uncle?” Sam asked as she got up.  
“Bloody wanker thinks I’m crazy or something. Somehow he found out when I went to Chernobyl and claimed I wasn’t ‘responsible’ enough to claim my inheritance. Of course, the dolt didn’t mention why I went there, because helping people is sooo irresponsible.” Lara exclaimed with frustration.  
“That’s absurd, you worked two jobs in college and paid your way through school by yourself, how can he think you’re not responsible?” Sam replied from the kitchen.  
“I really have no idea, I think he’s still trying to get back at my father through me. That’s not even the worst part, he had the gall to describe our expedition to Yamatai a “jaunt around the world” and implied the aftermath was my fault. After all that, I’d had enough. So I just got out of there.” Lara continued.  
“What a bastard! Here you go,” Sam replied, handing Lara her drink.  
“Thanks,” Lara replied.  
“Maybe we could go to the authorities?” Asked Sam.  
“And tell them what? That we were shipwrecked on an island full of mad cultists worshipping an immortal sun queen? And now our friend died, only he’s not really dead, but taken by bandits in the Mexican Jungle and now they want five million dollars for him?” Lara asked incredulously.  
“So, not the authorities then, it’s probably out of their jurisdiction anyway now that you mention it,” answered Sam.  
“I’m really worried, Sam. These people, they came after all of us. Okay, so they weren’t trying to hurt us, yet. But what happens in two weeks? I can’t let anything happen, not again,” Lara vented.  
Sam realised now was the perfect opportunity to share her plan with Lara, given all other options had become exhausted.  
“I’ve been working on an idea, Jonah and Kaz already agreed. Hear me out… Let’s go there!” Sam asserted.  
“To Mexico?” Lara asked in surprise.  
“Yes! All of us,” replied Sam.  
“No way!” Lara replied, standing up, “I’ll try my uncle again,” Lara exclaimed.  
“You’re not putting yourself through that a second time,” declared Sam.  
“So you what, want to go to Mexico and storm their stronghold? They’ll know we’re coming, then they’ll kill Grim and us along with him,” stated Lara.  
“I don’t want to storm their stronghold, but what I do want to do is make sure we and Grim are safe. Right now, we’re not safe here, and Grim’s not safe there. I have an idea that could get us close, without causing too much suspicion and without them realising we ever left,” Sam explained proudly.  
“How?” asked Lara, her curiosity piqued.  
“With this! And this!” Sam said holding up her camera and a book titled “Modern day Monsters”, she then put the camera down before she continued.  
“You see, we won’t be going into the jungle to find the bandits, we’ll be going into the jungle to find…” Sam paused to open the book to a page which she showed Lara, “Chupacabra!”  
Lara smiled at Sam’s delivery. While she had her doubts about Sam’s plan, Lara couldn’t help but find Sam’s enthusiasm endearing.

So Sam filled in Lara on the rest of the details, contacted Jonah and Kaz to let them know it was a go, and prepared to go overseas to film a documentary.


End file.
